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OLD    RIGGIXfi    LOFT. 


ANNALS 


NEW  YORK  METHODISM 


A  HISTORY  OF  THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 
IN  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK 


FROM  A.  D.  1766  TO  A.  D.  1890. 


SAMUEL  A.  SEAMAN,  A.M. 


NEIV  YORK:  HUNT  b'  EA  TON 
CINCINNA  TI:  CRANSTON  Sp'  STOIVE 

l8qz 


Copyright,  1892.  by 

HUNT     &    EATON, 

New  York. 


13X 


PREFACE. 


This  voliune  coiitnins  about  all  that  the   writei*  has 
been  able  to  gather  relating  to  the  history  of  Methodism 
-^       in  New  York  city.     It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  work 
^       was  not  taken  in  hand  before,  when   some  of  the  sur- 
S       vivors  of   the    primitive   times    could    have  furnished 
y       many  interesting  reminiscences.     But  what    could  be 
glenned,  either  from    tradition    or  documents    that    re- 
.:.        main,  has  been  collected  and  put  in  such  a  shape  as  it  is 
N         hoped  will   be  interesting  and  useful.     Some  portions 
I-        may  seem  dry,  but   they  contain  valuable  information; 
^        some  again  may   seem    trivial  and   gossipy,   hut    they 
will  be  interesting.     Nothing  but  what   is  believed  to 
^       be  fact  has  been  admitted.     In  some   cases  what  may 
«@      seem  to  be  of  small  value  is  introduced,  as  being  likely 
2li      to  elicit  something  that  may  give  it  importance.     It  is 
lioped  that  the  volume  may  at  least  stimulate  others  to 
investigate,  and  induce  those  who  have  material  to  fur- 
nish it,  and  thus  lay  the  foundation  of  something  more 
perfect  by  an  abler  hand. 

The  book  abounds  in  references.  The  author  has 
tried  to  be  accurate,  and  has  given  his  authorities  as  far  as 
possible.  A  great  deal,  however,  has  been  derived  from 
his  own  personal  knowledge  and  that  of  friends,  some 
deceased,  and  some  still  living.  It  is  to  be  lioped  that 
arrangements  will  be  made  to  preserve  such  records  as 
still  exist,  that  others  may  verify  or  correct  the  state- 
ments which  have  been  made. 

418596 


iv  Pkeface. 

It  is  riglit  to  say  that  the  work  would  never  have  been 
completed  had  it  not  been  for  the  liberality  of  Mr.  John 
Bentley,  one  of  the*trustees  of  the  John  Street  Church. 
To  the  Kev.  Joseph  Longking  much  credit  is  also  due, 
for  gathering  and  preserving  a  good  deal  of  valualjle 
material. 

Peculiarities  of  style  will  be  observed  in  many  of  the 
quotations  given.  It  has  been  thought  best  generally  to 
give  the  exact  words  of  extracts,  as  any  changes  might 
convey  a  different  meaning  from  that  which  was  in- 
tended. 

Brief  sketches  of  the  preachers  who  labored  in  the 
city  are  given  down  to  1832.  These  would  have  been 
continued  to  the  present  time  but  for  want  of  space. 

It  was  also  ]M-oposed  to  insert  notices  of  prominent 
lay  members,  but  this,  for  the  same  reason,  has  been 
abandoned.  Much  material  for  the  purpose  has  been 
collected,  which,  if  desired,  may  perhaps  be  given  here- 
after. 

Of  the  documents  used,  some  of  the  most  important 
are: 

1.  The  "  Old  Book,"  from  which  Dr.  ^yakeley  ob- 
tained so  much  of  the  material  out  of  which  he  con- 
structed his  valuable  work  entitled  Z,ost  Chapters  He- 
covered  from  the  Early  History  of  American  Methodism. 
There  are  about  two  hundred  and  seventy  pages, 
nearly  half  of  which  are  blank.  It  is  of  foolscap  size, 
having  on  some  pages  a  circular  water-mark  with  a 
crown  above  it.  It  contains  a  copy  of  the  subscription 
paper  and  a  list  of  subscribers  for  the  first  John  Street 
Church,  a  number  of  receiv)ts,  the  accounts  from  Au- 
gust 1,  1T69,  to  May  30,  1797,  and  several  other  mem- 
oranda. When,  where,  or  how  it  was  discovered  it  is 
impossible  to  say  positively,  but  it  is  believed  that  Dr. 
Wakelev  found   it   either   in    the   John  Street   or   the 


Prkface.  V 

Forsyth  Street  church.  Of  its  authenticity  there  can 
be  no  doubt,  especially  as  its  entries  tally  remarkalily 
with  what  we  learn  from  other  sources,  furnishing  evi- 
dence much  like  that  of  which  Dr.  Paley  makes  such 
efficient  use  in  his  Ilorce  PauUnm.  For  instance,  in  the 
library  of  the  Wesley  an  Theological  College  at  Mon- 
treal is  a  copy  of  Cruden's  Concordance  presented  by 
a  granddaughter  of  Philip  Embury,  Mrs.  J.  Rhicard. 
It  is  the  third  edition,  (1769,)  with  a  portrait  of  the 
author,  and  is  a  stout  leather-bound  quarto,  with  a 
leather  cover  over  the  binding.  It  bears  the  inscription 
in  a  clear,  bold  hand,  "Phil  Embury,  April,  1770."* 
Now,  under  date  of  April  10,  1770,  we  find  in  the 
"  Old  Book  "  the  entry,  "  To  cash  paid  Philip  Embury, 
to  buy  a  Concordance,  £2.  5.  0."  A  number  of  similar 
coincidences  might  be  noticed.  This  volume  will  be 
referred  to  either  as  the  "  Old  Book,"  or  Book  1. 

1.  A.  This  also  is  of  foolscap  size,  in  paper  cover, 
however,  and  has  rather  more  than  eighty  pages.  It 
contains  the  first  record  of  members  which  has  been 
found,  and  also,  probably,  the  first  record  of  marriages 
and  baptisms  ever  kept  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  New  York  city,  as  it  begins  January  23,  1785. 
When  it  came  into  the  author's  hands  it  had  evidently 
been  disarranged,  the  pages  not  following  in  proper 
order.  This  has  been  rectified,  but  several  leaves  are 
still  wanting. 

When  Rev.  Samuel  W.  King,  late  of  the  New  York 
East  Conference,  was  pastor  of  the  Second  Street 
Church  in  this  city,  a  book  was  discovered  in  a  library 
case  there  which  contained  something  of  interest  to 
Rev.  J.  J.  Matthias,  and  was  therefore  handed  to  him. 
This  must  be  the  volume,  as   on  page  19  we  have  the 

*  See  Christian  Advocate,   vol.  Ixi,  p.  379. 


vi  Preface. 

record  of  the  marriage  of  Barnard  Mattliias  and  Sarah 
Jarvis  (the  parents  of  Rev.  J.J.  Matthias),  and  on  the  top 
of  page  6  is  a  reference  in  pencil  to  Mr.  King's  grand- 
parents. The  Rev.  J.  Longking  thinks  he  obtained  the 
book  from  Forsyth  Street.  The  internal  evidence  of 
its  authenticity  is  very  clear.* 

There  are  three  lists  of  members;  the  first,  bearing 
no  name  nor  date,  is  apparently  in  the  hand-writing 
of  John  Dickins.  It  is  arranged  neither  according  to 
classes  nor  alphabetically,  but  the  names  are  numbered, 
and  the  first  twenty-five  are  missing.  The  last  number  is 
one  hundred  and  three.  The  one  that  follows,  also  with- 
out date,  but  evidently  prior  to  July  20,  1787,  as  that  is 
the  date  of  the  last  of  the  three,  is  probably  also  by 
Dickins,  as  he  returned  to  the  city  in  1786.  This  is 
arranged  in  eleven  classes,  besides  one  of  children,  and 
some  53  names  are  added  at  the  close,  without  assign- 
ment to  any  class.  In  all  there  are  255  names.  If  the 
earlier  list  were  complete  it  would  be  well  to  give  it, 
but  it  is  perhaps  sufficient  to  say  that  it  contains  the 
names  of  Peter  McLain,  John  Bleccker,  Daniel  Coutant, 
and  Hannah  Baldwin.  In  the  second  we  have  in  addi- 
tion, W.  Lupton,  Ab.  Brower,  Wm.  Tillou,  Paul  Heck, 
Hannah  Heck,  Peter  Parks,  Andrew  Mercein,  Robert 
Snow,  Walter  McDonald,  and  Ann  McDonald  (tlie 
parties  to  the  first  marriage  recorded),  Charles  White, 
John  Staples,  Henry  Newton,  and  Cornelius  Warner.f 
The   third   list   is  by  Woolman  Hickson,  and  is   dated 

*  The  first  baptism  recorded  is  "  January  23,  1785,  James  Mills,  son  of 
John  and  Sarah  Drinker."  The  first  marriage  is  "  March  27,  1785,  Wal- 
ter McDonald,  of  Richmond  County,  and  Ann  Walton,  of  the  city  of 

New  York.     Witnesses :   Stephen  Sands, Egbert  and  his  wife, 

Phebe  Armstrong,  and  Elizabeth  Dickins." 

f  If  the  first  list  had  been  complete,  no  doubt  the  most  of  these 
names  would  have  been  found  there. 


Preface.  vii 

July  20,  1787.  It  gives  the  names  of  228  whites  and 
36  colored,  in  seventeen  classes.  There  are  also  several 
lists  of  persons  read  into  membership;  the  first  on  June 
27,  1789,  and  the  last,  September  5,  1790. 

1.  B.  This  is  also  of  foolscap  size,  and  has  sixty- 
eight  pages.  It  contains  records  of  members  according 
to  their  classes,  and  also  of  receptions  on  probation.  Its 
earliest  date  is  1791  and  its  latest  1796. 

2.  This,  too,  is  of  foolscap  size.  It  is  bound  in  parch- 
ment and  contains  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-four 
pages.  On  the  outside  of  the  front  cover  is  written, 
"  A  memorandum  book  for  the  use  of  the  Methodist 
Society,  July  — ,  179 — ,  New  York,  1802.  This  book 
contains  an  account  of  persons  received  on  trial,  an 
account  of  those  read  in,  an  account  of  those  excluded, 
an  account  of  when  and  where  the  classes  meet." 
There  is  also  other  writing,  but  it  is  illegible.  Besides 
the  contents  as  stated  above  we  find  within  it  some 
accounts  relating  to  the  building  of  the  (old)  Forsyth 
Street  church,  some  of  the  preachers'  house-keeping,  and 
also  an  account  of  the  settlement  of  the  estate  of 
Cornelius  Cook,  of  which  John  Bleecker  and  Thomas 
Morrell  were  executors.  It  seems  to  have  amounted 
to  less  than  thirty  pounds.  Much  of  the  penmanship 
in  this  book  is  in  the  small,  neat  hand  of  Thomas 
Morrell.  This  book  probably  was  found  at  Forsyth 
Street. 

The  books  that  follow  have  been  obtained  from 
various  sources,  but  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  their 
authenticity.  They  are  most  of  them  of  foolscap  page, 
and  in  pretty  good  order. 

3.  "Baptisms  in  John  Street  Church  from  1796  to 
1820."  This  was  found  among  the  old  books  at  John 
Street. 

4.  "Marriages     from   July,     1799,    to    October    18, 


viii  Preface. 

1820."  This  came  also  from  John  Street.  The  signa- 
tures of  John  McCIaskey,  Thomas  Morrell,  and  Samuel 
Merwin  are  on  the  fly-leaf.  Many  pages  of  this  book 
are  blank. 

5.  "  Minutes  of  the  Assistance  Society "  from  its 
formation  in  1808  until  1822. 

6.  "  Baptisms  and  marriages,  Hudson  Church  (Duane 
Street)  New  York."     These  are  from  1810  to  1820. 

7.  "Methodist  Church  Book,  in  which  the  names 
are  recorded  in  alphabetical  order,  by  Nathan  Bangs, 
February  25,  1811,  New  York."  This  book  was  iu 
use  until  at  least  1817. 

8.  Rather  more  than  forty  pages  of  this  volume  are 
occupied  with  minutes  of  the  Leaders'  Meetings  from 
May,  1811,  to  February,  1823.  Nearl}^  the  same  num- 
ber at  the  other  end  of  the  book  contain  minutes  of  the 
Camp-meeting  Committee  from  May,  1818,  to  August, 
1821. 

9.  "  A  Register  of  Baptisms  for  the  Fourth  (Allen) 
Street  Church,  New  York,  October  18,  1811."  The 
latest  records  of  baptisms  in  this  book  are  in  December, 
1820.  In  the  latter  part  of  this  book  tliere  is  a  record 
of  marriages  from  1811  to  1820,  by  L.  Clark,  S.  Crow- 
ell,  Thomas  Thorp,  Luman  Andrus,  and  Marvin  Rich- 
ardson, preachers  in  the  city  at  that  time. 

10.  "A  General  Register  of  Trustees,  Local  Preachers, 
Leaders  and  Members."  It  seems  to  have  been  begun 
about  1813,  and  was  in  use  as  late  as  1817.  A  printed 
copy  of  the  plan  of  appointments  for  1816  is  pasted  on 
the  inside  of  the  last  cover.* 

11.  A  Record  of  Probationers  from  1815  to  1822. 

12.  Is  a  book  substantially  bound  iu  undressed  calf, 
and  has  a  printed  title  page,  which  reads,  "Register  of 

*  See  Appendix  T. 


Preface.  ix 

the  Members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the 
city  of  New  York,  taken  January  1,  1819.  ^^W"  Those 
who  have  no  date  prefixed  to  their  names  were  mem- 
bers on  the  above  day.  Trustees,  Abraham  Russel,  Paul 
Hick,  Joseph  Smith,  Gilbert  Coutant,  John  P.  Morris, 
Michael  D.  Higgins,  George  Taylor,  George  Suckley, 
James  Donaldson.  Stationed  2)reachers  :  Rev.  Nathan 
Bangs,  Laban  Clark,  Seth  Crowell,  Samuel  Howe, 
Thomas  Thorp  ;  John  C.  Totten,  clerk."  The  entries 
in  this  book  are  in  an  admirable  hand,  but  from  the 
appearance  of  the  pages  it  was  not  used  more  than  two 
or  three  years. 

13.  A  Record  of  Probationers  from  1821  to  1831. 

14.  A  Record  of  Classes  in  1826,  etc. 

15.  Accounts  of  Stewards  from  1827  to  1831. 

16.  Marriages  from  1819  to  1837. 

17.  A  Register  of  Members  by  Joshua  Soule,  Janu- 
ary 1,  1822.      Used  until  1832. 

18.  Minutes  of  the  B^ard  of  Trustees  from  March, 
1820,  to  March,  1834.* 

As  to  printed  matter,  all  histories,  biographies,  etc., 
within  reach  have  been  consulted.  Dr.  Wakeley's  LiM 
Chapters,  etc.,  has  been  of  great  value,  not  only  as  a 
guide  in  examining  the  "  Old  Book,"  but  because  of  other 
material  that  he  had  gathered.  But  his  work  closes 
with  the  end  of  the  last  century,  covering  only  about 
tliirty-four  years  ;  for  the  nearly  ninety  years  that  fol- 
low nothing  but  the  i"aw  material  was  to  be  found. 
Rev.  E.  Warriner,  however,  in  his  Old  Sands  Street, 
BrooJdyri,  has  collected  a  mass  of  valuable  facts,  some 
of  whicli  relate  to  New  York  city.  It  is  a  very 
thorough  work,  of  much  labor,  and  generally  very 
accurate.     Another  volume  relating  to  the  last  century 

*  Some  of  these  books  have  not  furnished  much  material,  but  tlie 
list  has  been  given  in  full  that  their  existence  may  be  known. 


X  Preface. 

has  recently  been  published,  entitled  Light  on  Early 
Methodism..  It  is  a  compilation  mainly  from  the  papers 
of  Rev.  Ezekiel  Cooper,  by  George  A.  Phoebus,  D.D., 
and  is  valuable.  The  Christian  Advocate  has  been 
quoted  by  volume  and  page,  and  Asbury^s  Journal  by 
date,  as  there  are  two  editions.* 

*  The  manuscript  books  referred  to  above  will  be  found  in  the 
library  of  the  Methodist  Historical  Society  of  New  York  city. 


A    HISTORY   OF    METHODISM 
NEW  YORK  CITY. 


CHAPTEIl  I. 

THE  SEED,  THE  SOWERS,  AND  THE  FIELD. 

The  origin  of  the  "  United  Societ}^,"  to  which  the  name 
of  "  Methodist "  was  afterward  given,  is  thus  described 
in  the  first  two  paragraphs  of  the  General  Rules.  In  the 
latter  end  of  the  year  1739,  eight  or  ten  persons  came  to 
Mr.  Wesley,  in  London,  England,  for  religious  instruc- 
tion. He  prayed  with  and  counseled  them,  and  at 
length  a  regular  meeting  was  appointed  for  every 
Thursday  evening.  They  were  persons  "having  the 
form  and  seeking  the  power  of  godliness,"  and  were 
ready  to  welcome  all  others  of  like  spirit. 

Thus  the  work  began.  Itinerating,  preaching  in 
the  open  air,  the  employment  of  lay  preachers,  the 
opening  of  houses  for  public  worship,  the  instituting  of 
class-meetings,  the  organizing  of  circuits,  and  the  hold- 
ing of  Conferences  followed  in  due  order.  The  first  of 
these  Conferences  met  Jnne  2,  1744.  At  the  twenty- 
second  session,  held  in  Manchester,  August  30,  1765, 
25  circuits  were  reported  with  71  preachers  in  England; 
4  circuits  with  4  preachers  in  Scotland;  2,  with  2  preach- 
ers in  Wales,  and   8,  with   15  preachers   in   Ireland  : 


2      A  History  of  Mkthodisji  in  New  Yopac  City. 

in  all,  39  circuits  and  92  lay  iti*ierants,  besides  the  Wes- 
leys  and  their  clerical  coadjutors,  and  a  numerous  body 
of  local  preachers.*  We  have  no  census  of  the  societies 
for  that  year,  but  in  1766  an  attempt  was  made  at  a 
report  of  numbers,  Avhich,  however,  is  so  imperfect  as  to 
furnish  no  correct  idea  of  the  size  of  the  connection. 
But  in  1767  there  were  25,911  members,  of  which  22,410 
were  in  the  English  societies,  2,801  in  the  Irish,  468  in 
the  Scotch,  and  232  in  the  Welsh.  There  were  in  all 
40  circuits  supplied  by  54  preachers. f 

As  yet,  however,  there  is  no  report  from  America.  A 
population  of  more  than  two  millions  was  there,  most 
of  tliem  using  the  English  language,  and  continually  re- 
ceiving accessions  from  various  parts  of  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland.  Whitetield  liad  made  three  visits,  preach- 
ing, during  the  last  two,  in  New  York  and  New  En- 
gland, as  well  as  in  the  South,  and  bad  gained  such 
favor  with  the  people  that  lie  was  spoken  of  as  prospec- 
tive bishop  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  the  colonies.^ 
He  was  too  intimately  associated  with  Wesley  to  per- 
mit us  to  suppose  that  the  people  were  ignorant  of  the 
character  and  progress  of  Methodism.  No  doubt  there 
were  among  the  immigrants  a  number  who  had  been 
connected  with  Wesleyan  societies  in  the  old  country, 
and    })erhaps    some   had    attempted    to    keep    up    such 

*  Stevens's  History  of  Methodism,  vol.  i,   p.  432. 

f  Stevens's  History  of  Mdhodism,  vol.  i,  p  436.  How  this  num- 
ber, "  fifty-four"  is  to  be  reconciled  with  the  report  of  "  ninety-two," 
two  years  before  is  not  clear,  but  the  figures  are  given  as  found. 

:[:  The  New  York  Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury  of  April  17,  1769,  has 
under  the  head  of  "London  News"  this  paragrnph:  "It  is  thought 
that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wliitefield  would  be  more  acceptable  to  the 
Americans  for  a  bishop  than  the  Rev.  Mr.  Aptliorpe ;  not  only  on 
account  of  his  pious  and  unwearied  labors  in  those  parts,  but  the  vast 
number  of  friends  he  has  among  the  dissenting  party,  who  prin- 
cipally oppose  this  estabHsiiment" 


The  Seed,  the  Sowees,  and  the  Field,  3 

relio-ious  services  as  they  had  been  accustomed  to  at 
home.  But  we  do  not  knoio  of  any  such  cases,  and 
whatever  may  have  been  begun  seems  soon  to  have 
ended.*  That  nothing  permanent  had  been  effected 
was  less  surprising  tlien  than  it  wouhl  be  now,  when 
immigration  is  Larger  and  intercourse  more  easy  ;  but 
it  does  seem  remarkable,  that,  even  then,  a  quarter  of  a 
century  had  passed  since  Mr.  Wesley  organizeil  his  first 
society  in  England,  and  no  Methodist  society  was  to  be 
found  in  America. 

But  Providence  had  been  preparing  the  instruments 
for  the  work,  and  bringing  them,  by  successive  steps, 
to  their  field  of  labor.  One  of  the  seven  ancient  Elec- 
torates of  Germany  was  called  the  Palatinate  of  the 
Rhine.  It  was  divided  into  the  Upper  and  Lower  Pala- 
tinate. This  last  subdivision  lay  on  both  sides  of  the 
Rhine,  bordering  on  France,  and  among  its  principal 
cities  were  Heidelberg,  Mannheim,  Deux  Ponts,  and 
Darmstadt.  Its  inhabitants  Avere  decided  Protestants, 
and  this  was  sufiicient  to  awaken  the  hostility  of  the 
bigoted  Louis  XIV.  "  Their  principal  cities  were 
pillaged  and  burned;  the  defenseless  inhabitants  were 
hunted  into  the  fields  and  woods,  where  many  of 
them,  stripped  of  their  clothing,  were  left  to  perish  with 
cold  ;  others  were  driven  into  the  French  territory. 
Thousands  fled   to   the  camp  of    the  English    general, 

*  There  were,  no  doubt,  as  is  asserted  by  Mr.  Dawsou  and  others, 
Metliodists  in  this  country  before  Embury  preached  in  New  York. 
But  some  of  these  may  have  been  so  called  because,  at  that  time, 
any  who  were  zealous  in  religion  had  to  bear  the  name  as  a  terra 
of  reproach.  Others  may  have  been  members  of  Mr.  Wesley's 
Societies  in  the  mother  country,  but  there  has  yet  been  found  no 
evidence  of  the  existence  of  any  organized  society  that  could  properly 
claim  fellowship  with  those  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Wesley  until 
Embury  held  his  first  class-meeting  in  New  York.  See  Christian 
Advocate,  vol.  Ix,  pp.  231,  248,  261. 


4      A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Marlborougli.  Ships  sent  by  Queen  Anne  bronglit  more 
than  six  thousand  to  England  in  great  poverty,  and 
thousands  more  followed.  Nearly  three  thousand  were 
sent  by  the  British  government  to  America  in  1710, 
settling  in  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  and  North  Caro- 
lina. Of  the  rest,  a  small  company  remained  in  England, 
a  few  went  to  the  County  Kerry  and  other  parts  of 
Ireland,  but  the  main  body,  consisting  of  about  fifty 
families,  found  homes  in  the  neighborhood  of  Rath- 
keale.  County  Limerick,  Ireland.  In  a  list  of  those 
who  settled  near  each  other  on  Lord  Southwell's  estates 
are  the  names  of  Embury,  Heck,  Ruckle,  Switzer, 
Guier,  and  others  associated  with  the  original  Method- 
ists of  New  York.*  An  Irish  writer  says  they  were 
"  industrious,  and  better  fed  and  clothed  than  the  gen- 
erality of  Irish  peasants,"  and  had  "  benefited  the 
country  by  increasing  tillage."! 

They  soon,  however,  having  no  German  minister  with 
them,  and  understanding  little  or  no  Engli>h,  lost  the 
habit  of  attending  ])ublic  worship,  and  gradually  "  be- 
came eminent  for  drunkenness,  cursing,  swearing,  and 
an  utter  neglect  of  religion."];  But  amid  this  general 
degeneracy  Philip  Guier,  of  Ballingran,  magistrate,  and 
master  of  the  German  school,  seems  to  have  been  an 
honorable  exception. §  At  the  first  Conference  in  Ireland, 
in  1752,  he  was  received  as  a  local  preacher,  Mr.  Wesley 
intending  to  make  him  pastor  of  the  Palatines. || 

One  d:iy,  in  April,  1749,  some  Palatines  from  New- 
market were  in  Limerick,  and   heard  Thomas  AVilliams 

*  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  Methodism,  pp.  19-26.  Stevens's 
History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  i,  pp.  49,  50. 

f  Ferrar's  History  of  Limerick,  quoted  in  Crook's  Ireland  and  Ameri- 
can Methodism,  p.  28.  I  Wesley's  Journal,  June  23,  1758, 

§  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  Methodism,  p.  39. 

II  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  Methodism,  p.  51. 


The  Seed,  the  Sowers,  and  the  Field.  5 

preaching  in  the  street.  Some  of  the  older  ones  said, 
"  This  is  like  the  preaching  we  used  to  hear  in  Ger- 
many." They  were  attracted  to  hear  again  and  again, 
and  finally  invited  the  Methodists  to  visit  their  settle- 
ments.* Whether  Williams  or  his  fellow-laborer,  Swin- 
dells, was  the  first  to  accept  this  invitation  is  uncertain, 
but  within  a  few  months  all  the  Palatine  settlements 
had  been  penetrated,  and  by  September,  1749,  a  society 
had  been  formed  in  Newmarket,  of  which  the  celebrated 
Thomas  Walsh  was  a  member,  f 

The  next  summer  Mr.  Wesley  visited  them.  He 
says  :  "  I  foiind  the  spirit  of  the  people  while  I  was 
preaching,  but  much  more  in  examining  the  society. 
Four  or  five  times  I  was  stopped  short,  and  could  not 
go  on,  being  not  able  to  speak,  particularly  when  I  was 
talking  with  a  child  about  nine  years  old,  whose  words 

*  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  Methodism,  p.  46.  Dr.  Crook  says 
in  a  note:  "  I  follow  Mr.  Myles  in  the  above  account.  I  find  another 
acconnt  in  the  handwriting  of  the  late  Rev.  Jolm  Dinnen,  who  was 
stationed  on  this  circuit  in  1786:  'How  the  Gospel  was  introduced 
among  the  Palatines. — Two  women  who  lived  in  Court-Matrix  fell 
out,  and  used  the  woman's  weapon,  the  tongue,  very  freely.  As  no 
strokes  were  given,  one  of  them  heard  of  a  court  called  the  Bishop's 
Court,  in  Limerick,  which,  she  was  told,  took  cognizance  of  abusive 
language.  She  set  off  for  Limerick  filled  with  rage  and  revenge. 
When  she  arrived  in  the  city  the  court  was  shut  for  that  day.  She 
determined  to  stay  till  next  day,  and  as  she  walked  through  the 
street  she  heard  singing  in  Quay  Lane.  Curiosity  led  her  to  stop, 
and  she  heard  a  sermon  which  reached  her  heart.  She  returned 
home  free  from  wrath  and  revenge,  told  her  neighbors  what  she  had 
heard,  and  invited  them  to  come  to  Limerick  and  hear  for  themselves. 
Tiiey  did  so,  and  as  the  result  a  preacher  was  invited,  and  preaching 
has  continued  there  ever  since.'  "  \  Dr.  Crook  adds:  "It  is  probable 
that  both  these  statements  are  correct,  as  Mr.  Dinnen's  narrative  may 
refer  to  the  introduclion'of  Methodism  to  Court- Matrix,  and  Mr.  Myles's 
to  Newmarket,  where  we  had  the  first  society  among  the  Palatines." 

f  Ci'ook's  Ireland  and  American  Methodism,  p.  47. 

*  Manuscript  Sketch  of  the  Rev.  John  Dinnen,  p.  22, 1788. 


G      A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

astonislied  all  that  heard.  The  same  spirit  we  found  in 
prayer  ;  so  that  my  voice  was  well-nigh  lost  among  the 
various  cries  of  the  i^eople."* 

In  August,  1752,  Mr.  Wesley  visited  Limerick  for 
the  second  time,  and  held  there  his  first  Conference  in 
Ireland,  f  There  is  a  tradition  that  Philip  Embury 
traced  liis  conversion  to  a  sermon  from  Wesley,  proba- 
bly at  this  date. J  In  1756  Mr.  Wesley  again  came,  and 
now,  for  the  first  time,  preached  in  Ballingran,  the  home 
of  Embury  and  others  who  emigrated  witli  him.  He 
says:  "I  found  much  life  among  this  plain,  artless, 
serious  people." §  In  1758  he  was  in  the  neighborhood 
again,  and  in  his  Journal,  after  speaking  of  their  former 
degeneracy,  through  "  having  no  minister,"  lie  says  : 
"But  they  are  washed  since  they  heard  and  received 
the  truth  which  is  able  to  save  their  souls.  An  oath  is 
now  rarely  heard  among  them,  or  a  drunkard  seen  in 
their  borders."  |j  July  9,  1  760,  a  few  weeks  after  Em- 
bury left,  is  the  date  of  the  last  of  his  visits  we  shall 
notice.  He  then  speaks  of  the  German  settlers  in  that 
region  being  "  forced  to  seek  bread  in  other  places  ; 
some  of  them  in  distant  parts  of  Ireland,  but  the 
greater  part  in  America."^  Among  these  last  were  Em- 
bury and  others,  God's  chosen  instruments  for  begin- 
ning the  work  in  America. 

Philip  Embury  was  born  in  Ballingran  in  1728,  and, 
according  to  a  family  record,  Avas  baptized  on  Septem- 
ber 29  of  that  year.  "  He  had  several  brothers,  all  of 
whom  ultimately  found  a  home  and  a  grave  in  America. 

*  Wesley's  Journal,  June  4,  IT  50. 
f  Wesley's  Journal,  August  12,  1752. 
\  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  MetJiodism,  p.  79. 
§  Wesley's  Journal,  June  16,  1756.  \Ihld.,  June  23,  1758. 

TJ Wesley's  Journal,  July  16,  1760.  Mr.  Wesley  ascribes  their 
destitution  to  "  their  merciful  landlords."     (The  italics  are  his.) 


The  Seed,  the  Soweks,  and  the  Field.  7 

IIo  was  educated  under  the  care  of  good  Pliilip  Guier, 
and  was  subsequently  sent  to  an  English  school,  prob- 
ably afRathkeale.  After  leaving  school  he  was  bound 
apprentice  to  a  carpenter  at  Ballingrau,  and  was  by 
repute  a  good  tradesman."  As  already  stated,  there  is 
a  tradition  that  he  traced  his  conversion  to  a  sermon 
from  Mr.  Wesley,  probably  in  1752.  "  A  small  book,  in 
the  possession  of  his  family,  has  the  following  interest- 
ing entry  in  his  own  handwriting  :  '  On  Christmas  day, 
being  Monday,  ye  25th  of  December,  in  the  year  1752, 
the  Lord  shone  into  my  soul  by  a  glimpse  of  his  redeem- 
ing love,  being  an  earnest  of  my  redemption  in  Christ 
Jesns,  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen. 
Phil.  Embury.'  *  He  was  shortly  after  api)ointed  a 
leader,  and  was  eminently  consistent  and  faithful. 
Within  a  brief  period  he  became  a  local  preacher,  and, 
with  good  Philip  Guier,  was  generally  recognized  as  a  kind 
of  pastor  of  the  Palatines.f  "  At  a  Conference  held  at 
Limerick  in  1758  he  was  recommended  for  the  itiner- 
ancy, but  seems  to  have  been  placed  on  ^Vesley's  list  of 
reserves,  to  be  called  out  when  a  vacancy  might  arise. 
J>ut  before  the  way  was  opened  he  was  married,  on 
November  27,  1758,  in  Rathkeale  church,  to  Miss 
IVIargaret  Switzer,  of  Court-Matrix.  J.  As  an  itinerant 
then  could  not  "lead  about  a  sister,  a  wife,"  his  mar- 
riage made  it  necessary  for  him  to  give  up  all  idea 
of  connection  with  the  Conference.  He  owes  it,  per- 
haps, in  pai-t  to  Margaret  Switzer  that  the  Methodist 

*  For  fac-simile  of  the  original  see  "VVakeley's  Lofit  Chapters,  p.  3:5. 

I  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  Methodism,  p.  79. 

\  On  wliat  authorit,y  inost  historians'  of  Metliodism  who  have 
spoken  of  Mrs.  Embury's  Christian  name  have  called  her  Mary  is  not 
known,  but  it  would  seem  to  be  unreliable.  Rev.  Dr.  B.  Hawley 
( Christian  Advocate,  vol.  Ixiii,  p.  240)  gives  a  docunaenl  dated  July  1, 
1775,  in  which  "David  Embury,  executor,  and  Margaret  PJmbury, 
executrix,  and  relict  of  Philip  Embury,  Esq.,  deceased,  of  Camden, 
o 


8      A  History  of  Methodism  in  Neav  York  City. 

Episcopal  Church  in  America  holds  his  name  in  such 
honored  remembrance.* 

When  lie  married,  Embury  probably  had  no  idea  of 
emigrating;  but  about  the  year  1760  the  rents  on  Lord 
Southwell's  estate,  on  which  many  of  the  Palatines 
were  tenants,  were  increased,  and  a  large  removal  was 
the  result.  Some  of  them,  as  we  know,  had  already 
found  a  home  in  America;  Embury,  with  the  prospect 
of  a  family  to  provide  for,  decided  to  follow  them.f 

Of  the  conversion  and  previous  history  of  the  de- 
voted woman  whose  holy  zeal  called  Embury  into  more 
active  work,  we  have  no  account.  She  was  ])robably 
among  the  early  fruits  of  the  labors  of  the  Methodist 
l^reachers  in  J)  illingran.  This  family  also  came  from 
the  Palatinate. J 

In  the  earh'  part  of  June,  17G0,  a  party  of  emigrants 
was  at  Limerick  preparing  to  embark  for  America. 
Among  them  were  Philip  Embury  and  his  wife,  two 
brothers  of  Embury  and  their  families,  Peter  Switzer, 
probably  a  brother  of  Embury's  wife  ;  a  family  of  Hecks 
or  Hicks,  Valer  Tettler,  Philip  Morgan,  and  a  family  of 
Dulmagcs.  ?.Iany  of  their  friends  and  neighbors  had 
gathered  round  them,  and  from  the  deck  of  the  vessel 
Embury  once  more  spoke  to  them  the  word  of  life. 
Prayer  was  offered,  and  the  ship  left  the  wharf  bear- 
ing rich  gifts  of  blessing  to  the  New  World.§  Mr.  Wes- 
ley, when  he  visited  Ballingran   about  a  month  later, 

in  Charlotte  County."  X.  Y.,  transfer  certain  property  known  as 
"Wilson's  Patent,"  probably  that  referred  to  in  Appendix  I.  One  of 
the  witnessess  was  John  Lawrence,  Mrs.  Embury's  second  husband. 
Mr.  Gabriel  P.  Disosway,  in  liis  History  of  the  Earliest  Churches  in 
New  York,  p.  225,  calls  her  Margaret. 

*  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  Methodism,  pp.  79-83.    f  Ihid.,  p.  83. 

X  H.  Mann,  Chri-itian  Advocate,  vol.  Ix,  p.  440.  As  to  the  identity  of 
this  lady  see  Appendix  A. 

§  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  Metlwdism,  pp.  74,  75. 


The  Seed,  the  Soavers,  and  the  Field,  9 

found  them  gone;  he  heard  from  them  again  before 
many  years. 

And  now,  wliile  the  laborers  are  on  their  way,  let  us 
look  at  the  field  in  which  they  are  to  begin  their  work. 

About  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  had  passed  since 
men  from  Europe  began  to  settle  the  eastern  coast  of 
Xorth  America.  English  Puritans,  Cavaliers,  and  Catho- 
lics, Scotch  and  Irish  Presbyterians,  French  Huguenots, 
Protestants  from  Holland  and  Germany  and  Sweden, 
came,  generally  in  companies,  and  found  homes  where 
they  could  enjoy  each  other's  society.  Between  the 
legions  which  Ave  noAV  call  Maine  and  Georgia,  many 
parts  of  the  coast  AA^ere  beginning  to  ]>ut  on  the  appear- 
ance of  civilized  shores;  A'illages  and  eA'en  cities  Avere 
springing  up,  and  forest  and  plain  coming  under  the 
hand  of  cultivation.  The  population  was  about  two 
and  a  half  millions.  Farming,  fishing,  trapping,  hunting, 
ship-building  and  trading,  and  some  little  manufactur- 
ing Avere  their  employments.  They  Avere  mostly  Prot- 
estants; but  English  Puritans  and  Episcopalians,  French. 
Huguenots,  and  Dutch  Reformists  had  their  marked  pe- 
culiarities, for  which  they  Avere  ready  earnestly  to  con- 
tend. Already,  hoAA'CA^er,  there  Avas  springing  up  a  feel- 
ing that  they  had  so  much  common  interest  as  to  make 
it  desirable  that  they  should  act  together,  especially 
Avhere  religious  liberty  Avas  at  stake.  Dissimilar,  though 
not  discordant,  elements  Avere  gradually  assimilating 
themselves  to  form  a  people  in  many  respects  different 
from  any  other  on  the  globe. 

On  the  11th  of  September,  1G()9,  the  ii\\\^  Jlalf-^Ioon 
passed  through  the  NarroAvs,  and  anchored  in  the  b:iy 
of  NeAV  York;  the  pioneer  of  the  vast  fleet  of  vessels 
of  all  nations  AAdiich  in  coming  centuries  should  find 
harbor  there.  Five  years  lat^r  a  joint-stock  company 
of  merchants  in  Amsterdam  sent  out  seven  ships  to  trade 


10    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City 

with  the  nath'es.  A  I'ude  fort  was  soon  erected  at  the 
lower  end  of  Manhattan  Island  ;  after  a  while  rough 
cottages  began  to  cluster  about  it,  and,  under  the  name 
of  New  Amsterdam,  the  metropolis  of  the  Western  con- 
tinent began  its  history. 

Until  1664  the  Dutch  retained  their  control  of  the 
colony,  and,  of  coarse,  their  speech  and  habits  were  in 
the  ascendant.  But  a  change  had  been  going  on,  and 
when,  in  the  war  with  England,  the  place  was  surren- 
dered to  the  Duke  of  York,  it  is  said  that  half  of  the 
inhabitants  Avere  English.  The  nine  years  of  British 
supremacy  which  followed  naturally  gave  greater  sway 
to  the  Englisli  language  and  customs,  and  thougli,  for 
one  short  year,  the  Dutch  resumed  the  control,  it  was 
easy  to  re-establish  the  English  authority,  which  Avas 
continued  for  another  century. 

It  is  not  difficult  for  a  natiA'C  of  Ncav  York  city  to 
become  enthusiastic  about  his  birthplace.  One,  not 
liimself  exactly  to  the  manner  born,  says  :  "  Nature  has 
done  every  thing  for  Ncav  York  to  render  it  the  com- 
mercial capital  of  North  America.  Its  harbor  is  uni- 
versally confessed  to  be  one  of  the  finest  on  the  face  of 
the  earth.  It  is  spacious  enough  to  give  sea-room  at  once 
to  all  the  shipping  in  the  Avorld.  Its  depth  of  Avater  at 
the  Avliarves  is  sufficient  for  the  largest  A^^ssels,  and  in 
most  of  the  space  within  the  ample  area  of  the  bay  the 
largest  ship  may  safely  ride  at  anchor."  It  is  remarka- 
bly "  free  from  obstructions  by  ice,  so  that  at  all  seasons 
vessels  can  enter  and  clear."  *  Its  climate  is  of  that 
medium  temperature  best  adapted  to  health  and  mental 
groAvth  and  activity.  In  short,  its  rapid  growth,  in 
population,  business,  and  wealth,  can  be  no  surprise  to 
one  Avlio  knoAvs  its  advantages. 

But  we  must  not  confound  the  New  York  of  to-day 
*  The  Metrojyolitan  City  of  America,  D.  Curry,  D.D.,  p.  332,  • 


The  Seed,  the  Sowers,  and  the  Field.         11 

■witli  that  of  1760.  On  tlie  opposite  page  is  a  map  dated 
1763,  and  from  it  we  can  get  some  idea  of  what  it  was 
then.  The  space  called  the  "  Common,"  then  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  city,  we  know  now  as  the  City  Hall  Park. 
Warren  Street  was  the  last  on  the  Xorth  River  side; 
Catharine  Street  on  the  East  River:  though  on  the  west  of 
the  "  High  Road  to  Boston,"  now  tlie  Bowery,  we  find 
streets,  the  last  of  whicli  is  called  St.  Xevin's,  now  Broome 
Street,  Many  of  these  streets  were  no  doubt  yet  only 
prospective,  and  the  buildings  on  them  were  mostly  one 
or  two  story  cottages,  with  wide  intervals  between  for 
gardens  and  pasturage.  Only  in  the  lower  p  irt  of  the 
city  was  it  common  to  see  houses  of  brick  or  stone  and 
in  continuous  rows.  The  population,  as  far  as  we  can 
ascertain,  was  about  fourteen  thousand,  of  whom  more 
than  one  half  were  Dutch,  and  almost  all  were  traders. 
As  to  religion  aud  morality,  we  have  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  New  York  in  1760  would  have  compared  not 
unfavorably  with  other  cities  of  the  day.  There  Avere 
two  large  Episcopal  churches  ;  old  Trinity,  a  Gothic 
building  with  a  spire,  on  the  spot  occupied  by  the  present 
edifice,  and  St.  George's,  at  the  corner  of  Beekraan  and 
Cliff  Streets,  modeled  after  some  of  the  new  churches 
in  London.*  This  has  been  succeeded  by  the  fine  build- 
ing on  Stuyvesant  Square.  A  Reformed  Dutch  church 
(known  afterward  as  the  South  Dutch)  stood  in  Garden 
Street,  now  Exchange  Place.f  Another,  long  known 
as  the  Middle  Dutch  Church,  was  on  Nassau  Street, 
between  Cedar  and  Liberty,  since  occupied  as  the  post- 
oftice,  and  lately  taken  down  to  give  place  to  the  Mutual 

*St.  Paul's  was  consecrated  in  1766. 

f  Tliis  was  destroyed  in  the  great  lire  of  1835.  The  congregation 
afterward,  under  the  pastorship  of  Rev.  Dr.  Hutton,  built  the  line 
edifice  on  Washington  Square,  now  occupied  by  the  Asbury  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  formerly  Greene  Street. 


12    A  History  of  Methodism  ix  Xew  York  City. 

Life  Insurance  building.  Another,  called  the  North 
Dutch  Church,  was  erected  in  1769  at  the  corner  of 
William  and  Fair  (now  Fulton)  Streets,  which  also  has 
given  place  to  buildings  for  business  purposes.  The 
Presbyterians  had  one  church  in  Wall  Street,  near 
Nassau.  This  was  taken  down  in  1844,  and  re-erected 
in  Jersey  City,  the  congregation  removing  to  Fifth 
Avenue,  between  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Streets.  In 
1767  another  was  founded  in  Beekman  Street,  where 
the  Potter  building  now  stands.  This,  from  its  material, 
was  known  as  the  Brick  Meeting-House,  of  which  the 
celebrated  Dr.  Gardiner  Spring  was  pastor  for  many 
years.  The  congregation  still  worships  in  a  brick  edifice, 
but  it  stands  now  on  the  corner  of  Fifth  Avenue  and 
Thirty-seventh  Street.  A  Scotch  Presbyterian  Church 
had  lately  been  organized,  which  afterward  (1768)  erected 
a  building  in  Cedar  Street,  near  Broadway,  of  which  Rev. 
Dr.  John  Mason  became  pastor.  There  was  a  French 
Huguenot  church  on  Pine  Street,  the  congregation  of 
which  afterward  (in  1834)  removed  to  the  corner  of 
Church  and  Franklin  Streets,  and  now  worships  in  West 
Twenty-second  Street,  near  Fifth  Avenue;  and  a  Luth- 
eran on  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Rector  Street,  built 
mainly  through  the  efforts  of  the  earlier  Palatine  emi- 
grants, who  came  about  half  a  century  before  Embury 
and  his  companions.*  This  was  burned  in  1776,  and 
in  1808  the  Episcopalians  erected  a  spacious  building  on 
tlie  site,  under  the  name  of  Grace  Church,  to  be  suc- 
ceeded in  1844  by  their  elegant  house  of  worship  on 
Broadway,  near  the  corner  of  Tenth  Street.  Another 
Lutheran  congregation  had  been  organized,  which  occu- 
pied for  a  time  a  small  building  on  Skinner's  (now 
CliiF)  Street,  and  afterward  erected  a  substantial  stone 
edifice  at  the  corner  of  Frankfort  and  William  Streets, 
*  Booth's  History  of  New   York,  pp.  159,  287. 


The  Seed,  the  Soavees,  and  the  Field.  13 

long  known  as  the  "  Swamp  Cliurcli."  The  Moravians  had 
a  church  on  Fair  (now  Fulton)  Street,  between  William 
and  Dutch  Streets,  and  the  Baptists  had  just  built  one 
on  Gold  Street,  between  Fair  (now  Fulton)  and  John 
Streets.  The  Friends  had  a  meeting-house  in  Little 
Greene  Street  (now  Liberty  Place),  near  Liberty  Street, 
and  the  Jews  a  synagogue  on  Mill  Street  (now  a  part  of 
South  William  Street), 

And  these  buildings,  Ave  have  reason  to  believe,  w^re 
well  filled  when  public  worship  was  held.  "The  situa- 
tion of  the  inhabitants  of  New  York  in  religious  mat- 
ters was  somewhat  peculiar.  A  professed  infidel  dared 
not  show  himself  ;  open  atheism  was  only  known  as  a 
monster  of  European  production."  "  Nearly  every  body 
belonged  to  some  sect,  and  indifference  was  viewed 
with  utter  dislike.  Even  the  troops  that  paraded  on 
Sunday  morning,  in  marching  down  Broadway  filed 
off  to  the  right  or  left,  some  to  one  church  and  some  to 
another.  All  were  religious,  or  pretended  to  be  so  ; 
whilst  the  laws,  taking  an  immediate  interest  in  affairs 
of  conscience,  required  the  strictest  attention  to  the 
established  forms  of  public  worship."* 

This  was  the  field,  and  now  the  laborers  were  ap- 
proaching, 

*  A  Short  Historical  Account  of  the  Early  Society  of  Methodvts^ 
etc.     Published  by  W.  &  P.  Smith,  New  York,  1824. 


14     A  History  of  Mi:thodis:m  in  Nkw  York  City. 


CHAPTER  H. 

TI1I<]  ARRIVAL,  THE  DELAY,  xVXD  THE  SOWIXG. 

In  the  JSTew  York  3Iercu7-i/ oi  August  18,  17G0,  was 
the  following  notice  :  * 

"  The  ship  Perry ^  Captain  Hogan,  arriA^ecl  here  on  Mon- 
day last  in  nine  weeks  fi-om  Limerick  in  Ireland,  with  a 
number  of  Gei'mans,  the  Fathers  of  many  of  them  hav- 
ing settled  there  in  the  Year  1710;  but  not  having  suffi- 
cient Scope  in  that  country,  chose  to  try  their  Fortunes 
in  America.  The  26th  of  July,  in  Lat.  39,  Long.  63, 
Captain  Hogan  saw  a  Snow,  which  by  her  motions 
he  had  reason  to  think  was  a  Privateer.  Some  Days 
after  Captain  Hogan  spoke  with  a  Whaling  Sloop  from 
Rhode  Island,  the  Master  of  which  acquainted  him  that 
a  French  Privateer  Snow  had  been  seen  off  the  coast."  f 
Elsewhere  we  have  the  captain's  name  in  full,  Richard 
Hogan. J  That  this  was  the  vessel  that  brought  Em- 
bury and  his  companions  there  can  be  little  doubt.  The 
voyage,  now  made  in  less  than  six  days,  was,  in  their 
case,  nine  weeks,  or  sixty-three  days,  long;  but  three 
days  less  than  that  of  the  Plymouth  pilgrims.  The  Avar 
between  Enirland  and  France,  which  resulted  in  the 
subjection  of  Canada  to  the  English  government,  was 
about  its  close,  and  French  j^rivateers  were  still  seeking 

*  As  August  18  was  probably  Monday,  the  date  of  the  arrival  was 
Anc!:iist  11.     Dr.  Crook,  p.  T4,  says  August  10. 

Y'- Snow^  a  vessel  equipped  with  two  masts,  resemblinp:  the  main 
and  foremasts  of  a  ship,  and  a  third  small  mast  just  abaft  the  main- 
mast, carrying  a  try-sail." — Webster's  Dictionary. 

\  New  York  Mercury,  August  25. 


The  Arrival,  the  Delay,  and  the  Sowixg.      lo 

their  prey  off  the  coast.  How  many  otlier  perils  these 
voyagers  may  have  escaped  we  know  not;  but  at  last 
they  stood  on  solid  ground  again,  no  doubt  full  of 
thanks  to  God  for  their  safe  arrival.* 

And  now  one  would  have  expected  that,  as  this  ves- 
sel bore  a  Methodist  local  preacher  and  several  mem- 
bers of  a  live  Methodist  society,  such  a  vigorous  oifshoot 
from  so  healthy  a  stock  would  have  immediately  taken 
root  in  the  new  soil  and  begun  to  bear  fruit.  But  we 
are  disappointed.  "The  presumption  is  that  Embury 
attempted  some  religious  service  shortly  after  landing; 
but,  being  constitutionally  timid  and  retiring,  and  meet- 
ing with  little  or  no  encouragement,  and  having  no 
suitable  place  in  which  to  conduct  the  services,  he 
abandoned  the  idea."  .  .  .  "He  joined  the  Lutherans, 
and  we  have  the  testimony  of  his  son,  Mr,  Samuel  Em- 
bury, that  he  never  abandoned  the  practice  of  family 
worship."  Several  of  his  children  were  baptized  among 
the  Luthei-ans.f 

"  In  August,  1765,  a  second  party  of  Palatine  emi- 
grants arrived  from  Ballingran  and  the  neighborhood. 
Among  them  were  Paul  Ruckle,  Luke  Rose,  Jacob 
Hick,  Peter  Barkman,  Henry  AVillianis,  and  their  fami- 
lies. Mr.  Ruckle  was  related  to  Embury,  and  brother 
to  Barbara  Heck.     Jacob  Hick  and  his  wife   had  been 


*  "  When  Embury  and  his  fellows  landed,  Colonel  Rutgers,  surprised 
to  hear  Irishmen  talk  Dutch  or  German,  recognized  them  as  countrj- 
men,  and  took  interest  in  them.  One  of  the  daughters  of  the  Switzer 
family,  Mrs.  E.  Coulter,  of  Can:bridge,  assured  me  that  her  parents 
usually  conversed  with  each  other  in  Dutch,  and  had  books  in  that 
language,  especiallj'  a  Bible  and  hymn-book."  J 

\  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  Methodism,  pp.  87,  88.  "His  home 
for  a  while  was  in  John  Street,  where  liis  son  Samuel  was  born."  § 

i  Letter  from  Rev.  P.  P.  narrower.    Chrixtian  Advocate,  voL  xxxiii,  p.  70. 
§  Letter  from  Samuel  Embury.    Chi-Utian  Advocate,  voU  xxiii,  p.  184. 


IG     A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Methodists  in  Ireland,  and  were  among  tlie  earliest 
friends  of  the  infant  Methodist  Church  in  New  York.* 

Some  of  these  Palatines,  whether  of  the  first  or  sec- 
ond company  is  not  clear,  "  had  by  this  time  lost  even 
the  form  of  godliness,  and  had  become  adepts  at  card- 
playing  and  other  sinful  amusements,"  There  is  not 
the  slightest  shadow  of  evidence  that  Embury  ever 
played  Avith  them,  or  even  Avitnessed  their  playing. 
Indeed,  it  is  not  certain  that  avy  of  these  cards-playei's 
were  Methodists.  "The  families  who  accompanied  him 
(Embury)  were  not  all  Wesleyans — only  a  few  of  them  ; 
the  remainder  were  members  of  the  Protestant  Church 
in  Ireland,  but  made  no  profession  of  an  experimental 
knowledge  of  God."f  This  was  the  case  also  with  the 
second  company. 

One  evening,  in  the  autumn  of  17G6,  a  "  company  were 
assembled  playing  cards  as  usual,  when "  a  Christian 
Avoman  "  came  in,  and,  bui'iiing  Avitli  indignation,  hastily 
seized  the  cards,  and,  throwing  them  into  the  fire,  ad- 
ministered a  scathing  rebuke  to  all  the  parties  con- 
cerned. She  then  went  to  Embury's  house,  and  told 
him  Avhat  she  saw  and  Avhat  she  had  done,  adding,  Avith 
great  earnestness,  '  Philij),  you  must  pi'each  to  us,  or  we 
shall  all  go  to  hell,  and  God  will  require  our  blood  at 

*  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  Methodism,  p.  83.  Dr.  Crook  re- 
gards this  Jacob  Hick  and  his  wife  as  the  founders  of  the  Hick  family 
in  New  York,  and  the  ancestors  of  Jonathan  (not  John  as  he  and 
others  write  it)  Paul  Hick,  and  thinks  slie  was  the  woman  who  was 
so  long  believed  to  have  been  the  messenger  of  reproof  and  awaken- 
ing to  Philip  Embury.  But  Jonathan  P.  Hick  says  that  he  thinks 
that  his  great-grandmother  came  over  as  a  widow.  If  he  was  not  in 
error  it  would  seem  that  there  were  three  families  who  bore  the  name 
of  Heck  or  Hick.  As  to  the  Heck  arid  Hick  controversy  see  Appen- 
dix A. 

f  Letter  of  Dr.  Roberts  in  Stevens's  History  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal  Church,  vol.  i,  p.  54. 


The  Akrival,  the  Delay,  and  the  Sowing.      17 

your  hands.'  Philip  attempted  a  defense  by  saying, 
'  How  can  I  preach,  as  I  have  neither  house  nor  con- 
gregation ? '  '  Preach,'  said  she,  '  in  your  own  house, 
and  to  your  own  company.'  *  She,  it  seems,  agreed  to 
get  the  congregation,  and,  as  nearly  as  can  be  ascer- 
tained, in  October,  1760,  he  preached  the  first  sermon 
in  his  house  in  what  was  then  called  Barracks  Street, 
afterward  Augustus  Street,  now  City  Hall  Place."  f 

*  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  Methodism,  p.  89. 

\ Nut  Park  Place,  us  it  is  in  some  narratives.  This  error,  that 
Embury's  lioiise  was  in  what  is  now  Park  Place,  has  been  so  persist- 
ently repeated  of  late,  that  it  will  be  well  lo  give  the  evidence  against 
it.  The  name  of  Barracks  Street  is  found  on  no  map  of  the  city  which 
the  writer  has  yet  seen;  but  in  several,  about  the  date  of  Embury's 
sermou,  we  have  the  Lower  Barracks  and  the  Upper  Barracks.  The 
lower  were  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bowling  Green.  Of  the  upper 
we  are  told :  "The  Barracks,  erected  about  tlie  time  of  the  'Old 
French  War,'  extended  from  the  present  Chatham  Street  to  Broad- 
way, along  Chambers  Street."  %  There  is  on  the  maps  an  unnamed 
street,  running  from  near  the  eastern  end  of  these  barracks,  north- 
east, parallel  with  Chatliam  Street;  occupying,  in  fact,  the  position 
of  the  present  City  Hall  Place.  This  was  afterward  called  Au- 
gustus (or  Augusta)  Street,  §  and  finally  received  its  present  name. 
Tills  is  also  the  testimony  of  Peter  Parks,  see  Appendix  A.  It 
is  true  that  some  accounts  of  the  old  streets  of  New  York  say  that 
Barracks  Street  was  afterward  called  Tryon  Row.  This  was  a  short 
block,  running  from  Chatliam  Street  to  the  Park,  before  Center  Street 
was  opened  through.  All  that  remains  of  it  now  is  the  site  occupied 
by  the  building  belonging  to  the  Staats  Zeitung,  a  German  newspaper. 
But  it  seems  most  likely  that  the  testimony  of  Peter  Parks  is  correct. 
Besides,  some  of  the  descendants  of  Peter  Embury  lived  in  Augustus 
Street.  || 

But  while  it  may  be  a  question  between  City  Hall  Place  and  Tryou 
Row,  one  thing  is  certain,  it  was  not  Park  Place.  The  error  is  of  late 
origin,  and  could  only  have  been  committed  by  some  one  not  familiar 
with  Xew  York  city.  Furk  Place  was  certainly  never  knoivn  as  Barracks 
Street.     In  maps  of  the  city  of  about  the  date  of  Embury's  first  ser- 

t  Vdlentine'a  Manual,  18")6,  p.  451.      §  A  Short  Historical  Account,  p.  4. 
II  See  Appendix  E,  Kate  (Embury)  Bininger,  p.  ii^o. 


IR    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

That  first  sermon,  in  that  little  cottage,  to  that  small 
congregation,  by  that  preaclier,  whose  vocation,  like 
that  of  the  reputed  father  of  the  great  Teacher,  was 
that  of  a  cai'penter  !  An}^  one  familiar  with  the  houses 
of  mechanics  in  the  early  part  of  the  century  can 
readily  call  up  a  probable  view  of  the  room,  tlie  "  liv- 
ing-i-ooni  "  of  the  family,  no  doubt:  kitchen,  dining- 
room,  and  sitting-room  in  one.  The  floor  was  ^^robably 
sanded,  or  if  there  was  a  carjjet  it  was,  no  doubt,  of 
woven  rags,  such  as  economical  housewives  of  that  day 
took  delight  in  preparing.  The  chairs  must  have  been 
either  wood  or  rush-bottomed  —  most  probably  the 
former,  or  what  were  known  as  Windsor  chairs;*  the 
table  of  pine,  or  perhaps  cherry.  Two  candles,  very 
likely,  were  all  that  lighted  the  room;  it  may  be  they 
were  in  the  candlesticks  belonging  to  3Irs.  Hick,  of 
which  Dr.  Wakeley  gives  an  engraving.  The  audi- 
ence, we  are  told,  numbered  five,  f  Paul  and  Barbara 
Heck,  Mrs.  Endjury,  Mr.  John  Laurence,  who  after- 
ward married  Mrs.  Embury,  and  Betty,  an  African 
servant.  J 

raon  it  was  called  Robinson  Street.  Xo  barracks  were  ever  in  ihat 
neighborhood.  The  writer  has  spoken  and  written  a  number  of  times 
to  correct  this  error,  but  liltle  heed  seems  to  be  given  to  his  testi- 
mony. Once  again,  lie  says,  he  challeriges  any  one  to  give  a  shadoiu  of 
proof  that  Pa7-k  Place  ever  ivas  called  Barracks  Street.  The  view  of 
Embury's  liouse  given  by  Dr.  "Wakeley  is  probablj^  not  authentic. 
He  says  {Lost  Chapters,  p.  41)  he  is  indebted  for  it  to  J.  B.  Smith,  Esq., 
of  Brooklyn,  who  "  obtained  it  from  one  of  the  men  of  olden  times." 

*  Such  as  Peter  Emery  (Embury),  Philip's  brother  or  nephew  per- 
haps, afterward  manufactured,  as  we  liud  by  the  New  York  Direc- 
tory of  1789. 

f  A  Short  Historical  Account,  p.  4,  soys  six. 

:]:  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  Methodism,  p.  90.  No  authority  is- 
given  for  this  statement.  If  it  could  be  verified  it  might  settle  the 
Heck  or  Hick  controversy.  Rev.  C.  Manson,  of  the  Black  River 
Conference,  in  a  letter  to  the  author,  adds  a  hired   man  of  Mr.  Laii- 


The  Arrival,  the  Delay,  and  the  Sowing.       19 

Tlie  services  nivist  have  consisted  of  the  usual  sino-incr 
and  |)raying  and  preaching.  But  what  did  tliey  sing, 
and  what  did  Embury  preach  about?  From  two  old 
Aolumes  we  may  get  a  little  light  on  this  question.  One 
of  them  bears  the  title,  "  Hymns  and  Spiritual  Songs, 
intended  for  the  use  of  Real  Christians,  of  all  Denomi- 
nations. By  John  Wesley,  M.A.,  Late  Fellow  of  Lin- 
coln College,  Oxford.  Ye  have  put  off,  etc.  Col. 
iii,  9.  The  fourteenth  edition.  Bristol,  Printed  ;  and 
Philadelphia,  Reprinted  by  John  Dunhip,  at  the  Newest 
Printing  Office,  in  Market  Street.  MDCCLXX."  The 
eighth  edition  of  this  collection  is  dated  1761;  another, 
ii:  is  said,  was  published  in  1777.  "It  was  extensively 
used  in  Mr.  Wesley's  societies."  *  This  book  must, 
therefore,  have  been  familiar  to  the  Palatines  before 
they  emigrated,  and  we  cannot  be  much  in  error  if  we 
suppose  that  the  hymns  sung  on  that  occasion  are  to  be 
found  in  it.  But  to  what  tunes  did  they  sing  them? 
The  other  old  volume  has  about  three  hundred  and  fifty 
pages,  and  contains  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight 
hymns,  set  to  appropriate  tunes.  Music  and  words  are 
both  engraved;  tlie  music  being  generally  in  two  parts, 
l)ut  sometimes  in  three.  The  title-page  reads:  "Sacred 
Harmony,  or  a  choice  Collection  of  Psalms  and  Hymns, 
Set  to  Music  in  two  and  three  parts,  for  the  Voice, 
Harpsichord,  and  Organ."  We  find  no  date,  and  no 
name  either  of  compiler  or  publisher.  But  on  the  in- 
side of  the  cover,  in  blue  ink,  under  which  there  are 

ronce.  He  also  s;iys  that  Laurence's  mother  afterward  married 
Teter  Miller,  and  moved  to  Canada  with  the  Hecks,  etc.  This  lady, 
he  says,  he  remembered,  and  that  she  lived  to  the  age  of  one  hundred 
and  two  years  and  eight  months.  Her  daughter  Catharine  became 
the  wife  of  Samuel  Embury,  Philip's  oldest  son.  Paul  Heck,  lie  says 
also,  was  a  soldier  one  year  in  a  Britisli  regiment.  See  also  Christian 
Advocate,  vol.  vi,  pp.  19,  etc. 

*  Creamer's  MdJiodist  lli/mnoloijy,  p.  191. 


20    A  HisTOKY  OF  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

traces  of  pencil-writing,  of  which  only  the  figures 
"  1765  "  can  be  clearly  niJicle  out,  we  read:  "Rev.  Jno. 
Wesley  remarks  in  his  preface  to  Sacred  Melody ;  pub- 
lished at  Bristol  in  the  year  1765:  Some  years  ago  a 
collection  of  tunes  was  published  under  the  title  of 
Harrnonia  Sacra.  I  believe  all  unprejudiced  persons 
who  understand  music  allow  that  it  exceeds  bej^ond 
comparison  any  thing  of  the  kind  which  has  appeared 
in  England  before ;  the  tunes  being  admirably  chosen, 
and  accurately  engraven,  not  only  for  the  voice,  but  like- 
wise for  the  organ  or  harpsichord."  Above  this  is  the 
name  of  J.  P.  Hick,  that  is,  Jonathan  Paul  Hick,  a 
descendant  of  the  Mrs.  Hick,  of  New  York.  On  the 
fly-leaf  we  read,  "  John  Watson,  Edinburgh,  5th  April, 
1782."  It  is  now  the  property  of  Mr.  John  Steph- 
enson. 

The  hymns  in  this  volume  are  mostly  by  the  Wesleys, 
and,  no  doubt,  the  tunes  are  such  as  they  approved,  and 
Avere  in  common  use  at  the  time.  We  may  regard  it 
as  good  testimony  as  to  tlie  tunes  the  emigrants  sang 
before  they  left  Ireland,  and  which  tliey  would  be  hkely 
to  take  up  again  when  they  resumed  their  religious  serv- 
ices. Nearly  all  of  them  are  now  out  of  use;  only  one 
will  be  recognized  by  its  name,  Amsterdam;  though 
another,  called  there  "  The  God  of  Abraham,"  is  in  our 
books  now,  somewhat  altered,  under  the  title  of  "Leoni." 
But  Cookham,  Ilotham,  Islington,  Kingswood,  and 
Portsmouth  (there  called  Trum])et)  will  be  recognized 
by  all  who  used  the  Jlethodist  JIarmo?ust  forty  or  fifty 
years  ago.     Who  can  tell  but  that  the  words, 

""^'retched,  helpless,  and  distressed, 
Ahl   whither  shall  I  lly,"  etc., 

were  sung  to  Kingswood  ?  And  how  a]>propriate  then 
the  verse. 


The  Arrival,  the  Delay,  and  the  Sowing.      21 

"  lu  the  wilderness  I  straj', 

My  foolish  heart  is  blind; 
Notliincc  do  I  know,  the  way 

Of  peace  I  cannot  find. 
Jesus,  Lord,  restore  my  sight, 

And  take,  0  take  the  veil  away ; 
Turn  my  darkness  into  light, 

My  midnight  into  day." 

Then,  too,  that  hymn,  "  Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul,"  to  the 
tune  Hotham  (a  beautiful  one,  as  many  yet  think);  and 
finally,  pei'liaps,  as  if  in  prophesy,  the  words,  "Blow  ye 
the  trumpet,  blow,"  totlie  tune  Trumpet  or  Portsmouth. 
Verily,  the  year  of  jubilee  had  come,  and  all  the  na- 
tions, "  to  earth's  remotest  bound,"  were  to  hear  the 
gosj^el  trumpet.* 

The  prayer  that  followed  the  opening  hymn,  we  can 
well  believe,  consisted,  to  a  great  extent,  of  humble, 
penitent  confession,  and  earnest  supplication  for  the 
reviving  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  sermon,  no 
doubt,  wa<  an  earnest,  faithful,  but  tender,  expostulation, 
because  of  past  unfaithfulness,  and  invitations  to  return 
to  that  God  who  would  heal  tlieir  backslidings  and  love 
them  freely.  Embury,  as  we  learn,  generally  gave  evi- 
dence of  much  feeling;  he  often  wept  while  preaching,f 
and  a  sense  of  his  own  recent  neglect  of  duty  must  have 
made  him  very  tender  in  his  dealing  with  his  hearers. 
Perhaps  he  used  on  that  occasion  the  same  old  Bible 
from  which  he  afterward  preached  when  the  church 
was  opened.  | 

*  The  Germans  are  generally  good  singers,  and  Brother  J.  P.  Hick, 
already  referred  to,  inherited  this  talent.  His  voice  was  long  a  leading 
one  in  the  social  services  at  Mount  Yernon,  N.  Y.,  wiiere  lie  died. 
Rev.  George  Coles  writes:  '•He  had  one  of  the  best  tenor  voices  I 
ever  heard." — Coles's  Later  Years,  p.  85. 

f  Wakeley's  Lost  Chax>ters,  p.  126.  \  See  Appendix  H. 


22    A  History  of  Methodism  ix  Xew  York  City. 


CHAPTER  ni. 

GROWTH:  THE  CLADK,  THK  EAU,  AND  THE  FULL  CORN 
IX  THE  EAR. 

As  was  to  be  expected,  the  congregfition  soon  in- 
creased; more  space  was  needed,  and  a  lurge  upper  room 
was  hired  in  the  same  street,  about  ten  doors  from  the 
barracks.  "  Here,"  says  Peter  Parks,  of  New  York, 
"a  great  excitement  took  place  among  tlie  people; 
many  were  awakened  and  some  converted.  Among 
them  was  my  grandmother,  Catharine  Taylor,  and  my 
mother,  Mary  Parks.  At  this  time  Mr.  Embury  formed 
a  class  of  all  the  members  then  in  society,  which  was 
twelve.  There  were  three  musicians  belonging  to  the 
Sixteenth  Regiment  of  the  British  troops,  then  sta- 
tioned in  the  barracks  in  Barracks  Street.  Their  names 
were  James  Hodge,  Addison  Low,  and  John  Buckley. 
They  were  exhorters,  and  assisted  Mr.  Embury  in  the 
meetings.  There  were  some  souls  awakened  and  con- 
verted in  the  poor-house.  Mrs.  Deverick  was  one;  and 
through  her  instrumentality  Mr.  Embury  was  called  to 
preach  in  the  poor-house.  By  this  means  the  master  of 
the  poor-house,  Billy  Littlewood,  was  awakened  and  con- 
verted." * 

*  From  a  document  found  among  tho  papers  of  Rev.  Ezekiel 
Cooper.  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  Metliodism,  p.  96.  Christian 
Advocate,  vol.  xxxv,  p.  60.  A  venerable  lady,  a  granddaughter  of 
Mrs.  Deverick,  Mrs.  McCabe,  of  "White  Plains,  N.  Y.,  corrects  au 
error  or  two  here.  The  name  should  be  Devereux,  and  she  was  not 
an  inmate  of  the  pooj-liousc,  but  the  daughter  of  a  w^ealthy  ship- 
master, who  interested  herself  in  the  spiritual  welfare  of  tiie  poor. 
We  find  her  name  (spelled  Deverix)  as  a  subscriber  of  eight  shillings 
to  the  cliurcli  building. 


Growth.  23 

About  this  time  Cliarles  White  and  Richard  Sause 
arrived.  They  had  heen  Methodists  iu  Dublin,  Ireland, 
and  were  very  valuable  additions  to  the  society,  espe- 
cially as  they  had  more  worldly  goods  than  most  of 
their  brethren.  One  evening,  about  February,  1767, 
the  congregation  was  surprised,  if  not  alarmed,  by  the 
a})pearance  among  them  of  a  stranger  in  the  uniform  of 
a  British  officer,  and  wearing  a  green  shade,  to  conceal 
the  absence  of  his  right  eye.  They  were  soon,  how- 
ever, rejoiced  to  find  that  he  was  a  Methodist,  and  a 
local  preacher,  and  was  ready  to  assist  in  the  work, 
Thomas  Webb  was  born  in  England  about  1724.  He 
entered  the  British  army,  and  at  the  siege  of  Louisburg, 
in  1758,  lost  his  eye,  and  was  soon  after  permitted  to 
retire  on  half-pay.  In  1764  he  was  awakened  under 
the  preaching  of  John  Wesley,  and,  before  long,  began 
to  preach.  lie  was  appointed  barrack-master  at  Albany, 
K.  Y.,  and,  hearing  of  Embury's  work,  paid  a  visit  to 
the  infant  society.  He  preached  in  his  regimentals, 
with  his  sword  lying  on  the  desk  before  him,  and  drew 
large  congregations,  who  were  attracted,  not  only  by 
the  novelty  of  hearing  a  soldier  preach,  but  by  the 
earnest  eloquence  with  which  he  declared  the  truth. 
He  returned  to  England  in  1771  or  1772,  but  was  in 
this  country  again  in  1773.  He  was  here  also  in  1777, 
as  in  that  year  he  was  suspected  of  being  a  sp}-.*  He 
died  suddenly,  December  10,  1796,  and  was  buried  at 
Portland  Street  Chapel,  Bristol,  England.  He  was 
twice  married,  and  had  two  sons,  one  by  each  marriage. 
They  came  to  this  country  after  his  decease,  and  settled 
in  Canterbury,  Orange  County,  N.  Y.  One  of  them  be- 
came a  Quaker  preacher,  but  always  professed  a  strong 
attachment  to  the  Methodists.  It  is  not  at  all  improb- 
able that,  if  Embury  had  not  begun  his  labors  when  he 
*  Ilistorkal  Mar/azinc,  vol.  vii,  1SG3,  p.  177. 
3 


24    A  IIisToiiY  OF  ^Methodism  in  Kew  York  City. 

did,  Captain  Webb  would  have  been  tlie  pioneer  of 
American  Methodism.  As  it  was,  his  labors  and  con- 
tributions aided  very  materially  in  its  establish- 
ment. He  heads  the  list  of  subscribers  for  the 
cliapel,  and  with  the  largest  contribution,  and  ap- 
pears to  have  paid  the  passage  of  some  of  the  earlier 
missionaries.  His  earnest  appeals,  also,  to  Mr.  "Wesley 
and  the  Biitish  Conference  had  great  effect  in  procur- 
ing the  ministerial  help  needed.  His  preaching  was 
remarkably  effective.  Mr.  Wesley  says,  "  He  is  a 
man  of  fire,  and  the  power  of  God  constantly  accom- 
panies his  word."  *  John  Adams  (the  second  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States),  while  attending  Congress  in 
Philadelphia,  in  1774,  heard  him,  and  said,  "  He  is  one 
of  the  most  fluent  eloquent  men  I  ever  heard."  f  Peter 
Williams,  the  old  colored  sexton  of  John  street,  re- 
garded him  as  something  wonderful.  J  Out  of  the 
mouths  of  these  three  witnesses,  of  so  widely  different 
positions,  the  fact  of  Captain  Wel)b's  ability  as  a 
preacher  seems  to  be  fully  established. § 

Under  the  labors  of  these  two  faithful  fellow-work- 
ers, Philip  Embury,  the  carpenter,  and  Thomas  Webb, 
the  soldier,  many  were   converted,  and   the  place  soon 

*  Wesley's  "Works,  vol.  vii,  p.  57. 

f  .Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  148.  Xlhid.,  p.  441. 

§  Rev.  George  Coles  writes  iu  Christian  Aihocate,  vol.  xxxiv,  p.  160: 
"  Conversing  with  nn  aged  member  of  our  Church  ilie  other  day,  I  had 
the  curiosity  to  ask  hitn  wlien,  where,  and  how  lie  was  first  convicted 
of  sin,  etc.  He  informed  me  tliat  a  Mr.  Van  Patten,  a  blacksmith,  was 
tlie  means,  in  tlie  hai.d  of  God,  of  opening  his  eyes.  'Do  j^ouknow,' 
said  I,  '  laow  the  blacksmith  was  awakened  ?'  '  Seeing  a  black  man 
die,  happy  in  the  Lord,'  said  he.  'Do  you  know,'  said  I,  'how  the 
black  man  came  by  his  serious  impressions  ? '  '  His  master  was  a 
religious  man,  and  taught  him  the  fear  of  the  Lord.'  '  And  where 
did  lie  (tlie  master)  meet  with  his  conviction  ?  '  said  L  '  Hearing  Cap- 
tain Webb  preach,'  said  he.     Thus  '  he,  being  dead,  yet  spcaketh.'  " 


Growth.  25 

became  too  strait  for  them.  Early  in  1767,  therefore, 
they  removed  to  the  far-famed  "  Rigging  Loft."  * 
Tliis  stood  in  Horse  and  Cart  Street  (a  section  of 
what  is  noAV  William  Street),  between  John  and 
Fulton  Streets  (now  Ko.  120),f  and  had  been  occu- 
pied some  years  before  as  a  place  of  worship  by 
the  Baptists,  J  It  was  sixty  feet  long  by  eighteen 
feet  wide,  and  was  furnished  with  a  desk  and  benches. 
Here  there  was  preaching  on  Sabbath  mornings  at 
six  o'clock,  and  on  Sabbath  evenings,  and,  after  a  time, 
on  Thursday  evenings  also.  The  singularly  early 
hour  of  the  morning  service  is  accounted  for  by 
the  fact  that  Methodists  then  regarded  themselves 
as  a  society  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  were 
careful  not  to  interfere  with  the  regular  exercises  of 
that  Church. § 

But  the  congreation  soon  outgrew  its  new  accommo- 
dations, and  the  need  of  a  chapel  of  its  own  became 

*  It  is  not  verj'  clear  whether  this  removal  took  place  before  or 
after  Captain  Webb's  arrival,  but  it  seems  most  likely  after. 

f  Mr.  G.  P.  Disoswa}^,  Christian  Advocate,  vol,  vii,  p.  85. 

X  G-reenleaf's  History  of  the  Churches  of  New  York,  p.  225,  and 
Christian  Advocate,  vol,  xxviii,  p;  114. 

§  During  the  RevoluUon  this  rigging-lofl  was  owned  by  a  Mr. 
Warner,  who  was  compelled  by  the  Briti.sh  to  make  sails  for  them. 
His  grandson,  Mr.  E.  H.  Warner,  married  a  sister  of  the  Rev.  John 
Summerfield,  ||  and  their  daughter  is  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Alexander 
McLean,  of  the  New  York  Kast  Conference.  The  building  v^^as 
standing  until  1854.  The  lower  part  was  used  as  a  store,  its  last 
occupant  being  a  card-engraver.  The  accompanying  view  gives  a 
good  idea  of  its  appearance  in  its  later  years,  as  will  be  remembered 
by  many  now  living. 

The  following  narrative  of  a  visit  to  the  building  may  amuse  and 
interest:  "  Passing  along  a  certain  street,  and  seeing  the  house  which 
had  been  once  occupied  as  the  Primitive  Methodist  meeting-house, 
then  a  smaU  store,  I  concluded  to  step  in  and  inquire  vi^hether  any 

■  Christia7i  Advocate,  vol.  liv,  p.  210. 


26    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

evident.  Either  the  same  good  lady  Avho  had  aroused 
Embury  from  his  inactivity,  or  perhaps  the  other 
claimant  of  that  honor,  made  the  matter  a  subject  of 
prayer,  and,  as  she  said,  "  received  with  inexpressible 

facts  concerning  its  early  days  had  ever  been  spoken  of  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  present  occupant.  I  had  taken  for  granted  that  the  in- 
maies  sliould  be  New  Yorkers;  but  I  was  no  sooner  entered  than  I 
perceived  it  was  used  by  a  debonair  foreigner,  who,  with  much 
vivacity  and  seeming  politeness,  was  already  on  the  qui  vive.  and 
earnestly  approacliing  from  a  back  apartment.  It  struck  me  instantly 
as  an  affair  rnal  a  propos  on  both  sides,  for  I  could  readily  read 
in  his  countenance  that  he  expected  in  me  a  guest  by  whom 
to  make  his  profit.  It  was  not,  perhaps,  to  the  credit  of  the  gen- 
tleman that  I  should  beforehand  conceive  that  he  would  revolt  at  any 
question  about  a  Methodist  meeting-house,  let  me  put  it  in  what  form 
of  gentleness  I  would,  but  it  was  so.  I  had  no  sooner,  in  set  words  of 
intended  brevity,  told  the  object  of  my  stepping  in,  than  I  perceived 
'  the  hectic  of  the  moment'  flush  his  cheeks,  and  I  began  to  think  that 
if  I  could  only  preserve  my  self-poss'^ssion  I  might  see  the  veritable 
enactment  of  '  Monsieur  Tonson'  himself  His  first  replication  was, 
'  0,  saire!  wliat  have  I  to  do  wid  de  Metodist  meeting?'  ■  E.xcuse 
me,  sir,'  I  replied,  '  that  is  what  I  cannot  answer,  because  I  came  to 
ask  you  what  you  might  have  ever  heard  of  this  house.'  'Why, 
saire,  what  have  you  to  do  wid  dis  house?'  '  Very  much,' said  I, 
'as  a  matter  of  curiosity;  for  here,  it  was  said,  was  cradled  a  re- 
ligious people,  now  the  strongest  in  numerical  force  in  the  United 
States.'  'Ah,  saire,  dat  is  noting  to  me;  I  am  no  Metodist.' 
'0,  sir,'  said  I.  '  of  that  I  am  fully  satisfied.'  'Tiien,  saire,  what  do 
you  want  ?  '  'I  told  you  at  first,  sir,  when  I  introduced  myself  and 
subject.'  '  I  have  no  interest  in  the  subject,'  said  he.  '  So  I  per- 
ceive,' said  I,  'and  I  am  only  sorry  I  have  engaged  so  much  of  your 
time  to  so  little  of  mutual  profit.'  Perceiving  him  so  tempest-tost  on 
so  small  a  subject,  all  '  to  waft  a  feather  or  to  drown  a  fly,'  I  con- 
strained him  to  hear  me  a  little  longer,  while  I  should  tell  ljim  a 
little  of  the  primitive  history  of  the  house,  under  the  plausible  kind- 
ness of  enabling  him  to  give  more  direct  answers  to  future  in- 
quirers if  ever  again  questioned  concerning  his  very  notable 
premises.  His  nervous  impatience  in  the  meantime  was  apparent 
enough,  but  he  had  to  bear  it  to  please  my  humor,  for  it  was  im- 
possible to  quarrel  with  my  gentleness  and  urbanity,  and   he,  possi- 


GuOWTH.  27 

sweetness  and  power  the  answer,  'I  the  Lord  will  do 
it.'"  A  plan  was  suggested,  :is  she  believed,  divinely, 
and  was  approved  by  the  society,  and  she  thus  became 
the  architect  of  the  iirst  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in 
America,  Captain  Webb,  without  whose  aid  the  en- 
terprise would  probably  not  have  been  attempted, 
entered  heartily  into  it,  and  headed  the  subscription 
l)aper  ;  land  was  obtained,  and  the  work  of  building 
soon  commenced. 

In  the  early  settlement  of  the  city,  land  was  often 
assigned  to  individuals  or  companies,  either  as  a  re- 
ward for  services  or  as  an  inducement  to  improve  it 
or  use  it  for  some  business  likely  to  be  a  benefit  to  the 
community.  About  1676,  the  tan-pits  in  Broad  Street 
having  been  declared  a  nuisance,  and  the  tanners  ordered 
to  remove,  a  tract  of  land  bounded  by  Maiden  Lane, 
Broadway,  Ann  Street,  and  a  line  between  William 
and  Gold  Streets  was  granted,  either  gratuitously  or 
for  a  small  sum,  to  a  company  of  shoe-makers,  who 
were  also  tanners.  Their  names  were  John  Harpen- 
dinck  (or  Harpending),  Heiltje  Clopper,  Charles  Lod- 
wirk,  Abraham  Santford,  and  Carsten  Luersen.  This 
property  became  known  as  the  shoe-makers'  pasture  or 
land,  and  in  1696,  when  Maiden  Lane  was  regulated, 
the  ground  was  surveyed  and  divided  into  lots.* 
Nearly  in  the  center  of  this  plot  rose  an  eminence  which 
was  called  Golden   Hill.f     An    event  connected   with 

bly,  could  not  but  be  half  afraid  that  liis  troubler  was  '  lunatic  and  sore 
vexed,'  as  one  too  often  affected  from  the  glimpses  of  tlie  moon.  We 
parted  with  mutual  bows  and  civilities,  and  both  "preserved  our 
honors.'"     "Watson's  Annals  of  New  York,  p.  360. 

*  See  a  map  of  it  in  Valentine's  Manual,  1860,  p.  526. 

f  So  called,  it  is  said,  because  of  the  rich  gold  color  of  the  wheat 
sometimes  ripening  upon  it.  Paper  by  G.  P.  Disosway  in  a  scrap-book 
prepared  by  H.  Onderdonk,  Esq.,  in  the  Astor  Library. 


28    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

the  agitation  preceding  the  Revohition  afterward 
made  the  name  memorable.*  A  street  cut  through  this 
ground,  running  parallel  with  Maiden  Lane  from  the 
East  River  to  Broadway,  was  named,  a  part  of  it, 
Golden  Hill  Street,  and  a  part  John  Street,  after  John 
Harpendinck. 

On  the  south  side  of  this  street,  between  Nassau  and 
William  Streets,  rather  nearer  to  Nassau,  a  site  was  ob- 
tained for  the  church.  At  first  it  was  leased,  and  the 
original  lease  (as  printed  by  Dr.  Wakeley,  Lost  Chap- 
ters, etc., •[).  51)  is  given  in  Appendix  B.f  The  next  day 
a  deed  of  sale  was  given. J  This  seems  to  have  been 
for  some  technical  purpose,  as  another  deed  of  sale  is 
dated  November  2,  1770.§ 

The  Mary  Barclay  from  Avhom  the  property  was 
obtained  was  the  widow  of  the  Rev.  Henry  Bar- 
clay, second  rector  of  Trinity  Church.  He  succeeded 
the  Rev.  William  Yesey,  in  1746.  ||  After  a  suc- 
cessful ministry  he  died  deeply  lamented,  August  20, 
17G4.t 

The  lease  describes  the  land  ns  in  the  north  ward  of 
the  city.  This  will  sound  strangely  to  one  familiar 
with  the  locality  now.  It  is  included  in  the  second 
ward  at  present. 

It  will  be  seen,  by  the  paper,  that  the  original 
deed  dates  back  to  169G,  when  the  Shoe-makers'  Ground 
was  divided.     An  entry  in  the  "  old  book  "  corroborates 

*  See  sketch  of  Isaac  Sears,  Appendix  E. 

fDr.  Wakeley  speaks  of  the  paper  as  in  his  possession.  But 
he  does  not  say  where  it  came  from,  nor  has  the  writer  been  able 
find  it. 

\  See  Appendix  C.  )      Both  of  these  documents  are  in  the  liands  of 

§  See  Appendix  D.  )  the  trustees  of  tlie  Eighteenth  Street  Church. 

II  Vesey  and  Barclay  Streets  bear  their  names. 

•[[  Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  54. 


Growth.  29 

the  statement  that  the  ground  was  first  leased.  It 
reads,  "August  1,  1769.  To  cash  paid  William  Lupton, 
which  he  lent  to  pay  the  ground  rent,  £14  10s."  *  Two 
years  and  seven  months  later  the  land  Avas  bought. 
The  deed  of  sale  was  indorsed,  "  Mr.  Joseph  Forbes  to 
Rev.  llichard  Boardman  and  others.  Release,  dated 
2  November,  1770."  Who  this  Mr.  Joseph  Forbes 
was,  into  whose  hands  the  title  to  the  property  had 
come,  we  have  no  means  of  ascertaining.  It  is  notice- 
able, however,  that  he  is  called  a  cordwainer,  and  was, 
therefore,  an  appropriate  owner  of  "Shoemaker's 
ground."  f 

By  what,  when  we  think  of  it  carefully,  must  seem  a 
remarkable  Providence,  a  copy  of  the  subscription 
paper  and  of  the  list  of  subscribers  to  the  old  church 
has  been  preserved  to  this  day.  It  is  found  in  the 
"  Old  Book  "  already  referred  to.  The  paper  has  been 
much  and  justly  praised.  Bishop  Janes  and  many 
others  expressed  their  profound  admiration  of  it.J  It 
is  given  here  strictly  according  to  the  original  copy  as 
to  spelling,  contractions,  and  capitals: 

"  Preamble  of  the  Subscription  list,  with  the  Names 
of  the  Subscribers,  and  respectives  sums  given 
Anext. 

''A  number  of  persons  desirous  to  worship  God  in 
spirit  and  in  truth,  Commonly  call'd  Methodists  (under 

*  Tliis  is  our  first  reference  to  the  old  account-book  which  Dr. 
"Wtikel.y  uses  so  interestingly  in  liis  volume  entitled  Lost  Chapters 
Etcovered,  etc.     For  a  description  of  it  see  Preface. 

f  On  May  1,  1785,  the  trustees  bought  additional  land  in  John 
Street  of  Leonard  Lispenard,  Sr.,  and  on  April  12,  1786,  made 
another  purchase  from  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church.  The  deeds  for 
these  pieces  ol'  property  are  also  in  the  hands  of  the  trustees  of  the 
Eighteenth  Street  Cliureh. 

\  Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  68. 


30    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

the  direction  of  the  Revd.  Mr.  Jolm  Wesley),  whom  it 
is  Evident  God  has  often  heen  pleased  to  Bless  in  their 
Meetings  in  New  York,  Thinking  it  wo'd  be  more  for 
the  Glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  souls,  had  they  a 
more  Convenient  ])lace  to  meet  in,  where  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  might  be  preach'd  without  distinction  of 
Sects  or  partys,  And  as  ]\[r,  Philip  Embery  is  a  mem- 
ber and  helper  in  the  Gospel,  they  Humbly  beg  the 
Assistance  of  Christian  friends,  in  Order  to  Enable 
them  to  Build  a  Smal  house  for  that  purpose,  Not 
doubting  But  the  God  of  all  Consolation  will  Al)un- 
dantly  Bless  all  such  as  are  willing  to  Contribute  to  the 
Same." 

The  list  of  subscribers  which  follows  has  been  care- 
fully copied  from  the  original,  and  several  errors  in 
that  in  the  Lost  Chapters  corrected,  a  few  of  which 
will  be  noted. 

There  are  two  hundred  and  fifty-nine  subscriptions, 
but  some  of  them  are  additional  amounts  to  the  same 
name,  making  the  number  of  subsci'ibers  not  more 
than  two  hundred  and  fifty.  Considering  the  cir- 
cumstances, and  especially  the  value  of  money*  in  those 
days,  they  gave  liberally.  The  Avriting  seems  to  be  that 
of  Mr.  Lupton. 

The  list  is  given  as  it  stands.  There  are  errors  in 
spelling,  etc.,  but  it  is  thought  best  to  attempt  no  cor- 
rection here.  The  totals  denote  the  footings  of  each 
column  in  the  original,  except  that  following  the  name 

of  Samuel  Schuyler. 

£    s.  D.  ■  £    s.  D. 

Thomas  Webb :-!0     0    0    Christopher  Stimets  ...     5     00 

William   Lupton 20       0     0        [Stiinets  ism  different  ink.] 

James   Jnrvis 10     0    0    I.  Robuck 10    0 

Charles  Wliite 5     0    0    Oliver    Delancy 6  10    0 

Benjn.  Hiiget 5     0    0    John  Crugar 5     0    0 

*The  pound  at  that  time  was  equivalent  to  two  dollars  and  a  half.  See 
p.  99,  where  we  find  £4  Itjs.  reckoned  as  twelve  dollars. 


Growth. 


31 


£     S.  D. 

Mr.  Abthorp 3     5  0 

James  Delancv 3     5  0 

Rob't  Lake./ 5     0  0 

Rev.  Mr.  Ahnnity 2     0  0 

Rev.  Mr.  Ocrvelsvie. . . .  1   12  G 

Rev.    Mr.   English 1  12  6 

104     5  0 

Grove  Bend 3     5  0 

John  Crook 3     5  0 

Paul   Heck 3     5  0 

Jo.seph  Pearson 3     2  0 

Gose  Courtland 2  18  0 

Mr.  Graliam 1  10  0 

James   Jauncy 4  13  0 

Hour}' Newton 3     5  0 

Richard  Sauce 3     5  0 

N.  B 0     6  0 

Mary   Arther...  . ." 0     8  0 

Mrs.    Stapel 0  16  3 

Mrs.  Hauser 0     8  0 

John  Velt  House 1     0  0 

135  11  3 

Mr.  Muson  Ward 0    8  0 

Mr.  Moral 112  6 

Corn.  Sebriiig 0     8  0 

Isaac  Sebrincr 0    8  0 

Whitehead  Cornal 0     6  6 

Sebring; 0    4  0 

Mrs.    Johnston 0     8  0 

Susanna  Letson 0     8  0 

Jacob  Hick 1     0  0 

[without  dot.] 

Hanah  Holdin,? 0    4  0 

Sarah   Alboid.' 0  IC  0 

Mr.  (or  Mrs.)  Glussford.  0     8  0 

Lambert  Garrison 0  10  0 

Edwd.  Lijilit 10  0 

Peter  R.  Levingston.. .  2    0  0 

Alexr.  Hulchin 1  10  0 

Jacob  Hollfil 1  10  0 

James  Beatnuin 0  16  3 

Pliilip   Lovinusicjn 0  16  3 

Joseph  Drake 0     8  0 

James  Peters 010  0 

Nicholas   Qnackinbush.  0  16  3 

Cathno.    Frank 0     4  0 

Mrs.  Colpin 0    8  0 


£ 

John   "Wessel 0 

Michl.  Howert 0 

Mrs.  Lyon 0 

Abni.  Mountauy 0 

Mr,   Bamper 0 

Cash 0 

Thos.  Petel 0 

Thos.  Whaley 0 

Sainl.  Veilkinham 0 

Cash 0 

Mis.    Cooley 0 

Mrs.   Commin 0 

Jasper  Cavour 1 

158 

Thompson  &  Selby 0 

G.   Golet 0 

John    Marks 0 

D.  Goldsmith,  Jr 0 

Wm  Bur 0 

Wm  Rhilander 1 

John   Clark 0 

Simon  Brastead 0 

Girthy    Hodge 0 

Elisli.   Cnsign 1 

John  Brandon 1 

Wm.  Pearson 0 

Mr.    Rhilander 0 

Goo.  Crnslev 0 

Mr-..    Slyder 0 

Capln.  Davis 0 

Rachell 0 

Margrett 0 

Mr.  Bartow 1 

Mrs.   Deverix 0 

Wm.    Williams 0 

Mrs.    Ale  Coy 0 

Mrs.  Heys 1 

Wm.  Eustick 1 

Francis    Jones 0 

Michl.  Cro.ss 1 

Mr.  Strj'er 0 

Mr.  Ranscar 0 

Cliristiari  Sciiulass 1 

I-:iisli.  Park 0 

James   Hollet 1 

Mr.  Harvey 0 

Thos.  Durham 1 

Henry  Van  Vleck 2 


5 

0 

8 

0 

4 

0 

8 

0 

16 

3 

12 

<) 

8 

0 

8 

0 

8 

0 

12 

() 

8 

u 

8 

0 

0 

0 

16 

:> 

8 

0 

8 

0 

8 

0 

2 

0 

1 

6 

0 

0 

8 

0 

10 

(.) 

10 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1] 

6 

16 

0 

8 

0 

4 

0 

10 

0 

9 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

8 

0 

10 

0 

8 

0 

4 

0 

0 

0 

15 

0 

0 

0 

4 

0 

10 

0 

0 

0 

2 

0 

0 

0 

8 

0 

10 

0 

0 

0 

32    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


£     S.  D. 

James   Lmig-Ii 0     4    0 

Doctor  Beaid 1  10    0 

Mr.    Trimper 0     4    0 

182     8    3 

Mr.    Miset 0     4    0 

Will.  Webb 1     0    0 

Geo.   Hopson 112    6 

Adam    Gilcrist 1   12    6 

Mr.  (or  Mrs.)  Lispeiiard.  2  10    6 

D.ivid    Clarksoii 10    0 

a.  W.  h 1     0    0 

Cish 10    0 

Tlios.  Bell 10    0 

Rev.  Mr.  Nizer 0  16    0 

A.    Bellinger 10    0 

Nancy    CrosfiU   1     0    0 

Mury    Newton 1     0    0 

John  Mountany 0     8    0 

Mrs.  Buller 0     8    0 

Mrs.  Bell 0     8    0 

Tiios.  Taylor 1     0    0 

Kdwd.  Caskallen 1     0    0 

Vail  Tetler 1     0    0 

Benjn.  Ogden  in  work. .  10    0 

Phiil  Couuhraniiido. . .  2     0    0 

Mr.s.  Barliey 2     0    0 

David    Grim 0     8    0 

Sweeny 0     2    0 

Peter  Van  Skiack 14    0 

Van   Every 1     10 

Vander  VorC 14    0 

Meeks 0     2    3 

Giles 1     10 

David  Embury 2     0    0 

Jackson 0  12    0 

Captn.  Thos.  Clark 1     0    0 

Capln.  St.  A.  Crow 112    6 

Danl.  Neal 0  16    0 

Chas.  McCivers 112    6 

Isaac  Low 14    0 

David   Mathews 0  16    H 

Thos.    Witter 0  16    3 

221   19    6 

Joseph    Read 0  13    0 

Garret  Beatman 1     0    0 

Thos.   Eiison 0  16    0 

Richd.  Everts 0     4    0 


£    s.  D. 

Mr.  Grant 0     6    0 

Mrs.  L.  L 0  16    3 

John     Sayre 0     3    3 

John  Marstin 0     8    0 

Captn.  Randle 0  16    0 

Mrs.  Read 1     6    0 

Mr.   Axtell 3     5    0 

Gilbert  Furbu.sh 0  13    0 

Michl.   Thody 0     8    0 

Mary  Ten  Eyek 0     b    0 

HeiiVy  Cuyler 0  16    3 

Mr.  King 0  16    0 

Chas.  Williams 0  16    0 

Nicli'  Steverson 10    0 

Josepli    Read 1     8    0 

Cash 0     2    0 

Thos.  Marstin 0     8    0 

Thos.  Walton 10    0 

Widow    McCivers 14    0 

John    Walts 2     0    0 

Doctr.     Mallet 0  16    3 

Abni.  Wilson 0  16    3 

Abm.  Lynson 0  12    0 

Aniliv.  Rntcas OK;    0 

Timothy    Hust 0  12    6 

Thos.  Barrow 0  13    0 

Doctr.    Midleton 0  16    3 

John  Dunscomb 0  16    0 

Rachel   Creshong 0     4    0 

John    Mott 013    0 

Mr.  r.    Tavlor 0     8    0 

Henry  While 1     0    0 

John  Cregear 0     6    0 

John  Roberts 0     8    0 

251     it    6 

Thos.  Moore 1     1    0 

Elias    Debruce 0  16    0 

John  Cuk 2     0    0 

Mr.   Comaline 0  16    0 

Doctr.    Kisam 0  13    0 

Rudolf    Ritsmau 1     0    0 

Wm.    Kelly 0  16    0 

NathL  Manstin 1   12    6 

Tnos.   Vandrill 2     0    6 

Chas.  Barrow 0     8    0 

James    Duaine 2     0    0 

Theod.  Van  Wyck 2     0    0 

Thos.    Jones 1  14    0 


Growth. 


33 


£  S.  D. 

John   Haris  Cruger. . . .  0  19  6 

Curtrao;ht " 1  12  6 

0 r 2  0  0 

A.  U 1  12  6 

B.  R.  E 1  12  6 

Verpleck 1  4  0 

Mr.    Ludlow 0  16  3 

Wm.    Ludlow 1  4  0 

G.  Ludlow 1  0  0 

F.  Smith 0  IG  3 

A.   Hamsley 1  0  0 

T.    Atwood 0  16  3 

P.   Rarasou 0  IG  3 

Mr.  Fenton 0  8  0 

Mr.  Faitly 0  2  0 

Mr.  Banvar 1  12  0 

Mr.  Yeats 0  16  3 

Fredk.  Depoister 0  16  3 

Mr.  Bull 0  10  0 

Mr.  Bead: 1  0  0 

Mr.    Ludlow 0  9  0 

Captn.  Lonsc 0  8  0 

Mr.  Yan  Horu 1  0  0 

Henry    Holand 0  16  0 

Thos.  Tucker 1  12  0 

Richd.  Curson 0  10  0 

Cash 0  4  0 

Mr.  Cook 0  4  0 


294     4  2 

Mr.    Raise 0     4  0 

David  Johnston 112  6 

Isaac  Sears 1     0  0 

Lawyer   Wickham 0   19  6 

Henry  Newton  More..  6  15  0 

Johu'Casner 1     0  0 

Richd.  \Val(h-on 0  16  0 

Mr.  Saml.  Schuyler 3     4  3 


.lohn  Loake 

James  Jarvis 

Samuel  Sell)}' 

Georse  Hopson.  ... 
William  Lupton.  . . 

Jolui  Cliavo , 

Charles  Morse. . . 
John  Staples. ... 
Steplieti  Sands . . . 

Phihp  Ebert 

Thomas   Diirliam.  , 
Thomas    Duncan. 
Eliz.  Db  Forreest. 

Mrs.    Gray 

Mrs.  Anderson. . . 

K.  P 

Capt.  Heclit 

John   Bowden. . .  . 

W.  X 

Thomas     Brinklcy 

Xathl.   Child ". 

H.   X 

Drx.  E 


S.   D. 

0  0 

0  0 

0  0 

0  0 

0  0 

0  0 

0  0 

0  0 

0  0 

0  0 

0  0 

1  12  6 

1   12  6 

10  0 

3     4  0 

0  14  0 

3     4  0 

10  0 

0     8  0 

0  16  0 

1  0  0 


0     8 


W.  E 

Lewis  Faugers 

Richard    Saiise 

Mrs.  Hickey 

Peter  Grim 

William  Rlulauder 

Benjn.  and  Wm.  Rhi- 
lander 

Charles  Wliite 

Thomas  Webb  given 
in  interest  upon  his 
bond 


0 
0    0 


0     8 


0 

4  0 
0  0 
8  0 
0  0 
0    0 


1     0    0 
3     5    0 


3     4    0 


418     3    G 


r,nr.  -,  -    ^         Note.— This  column  Is  written  in 
309  lu    6    paler  ink.* 

In  looking  over  the  list  ^ye  will  be  surprised  at  the 
absence  of  two  names.  One  is  that  of  John  Southwell, 
one  of  the  original  trustees,  as  we  learn  from  tlie  deed. 
Ho  is  there  called  a  merchant,  and  we  cannot  help  but 

*  Such  information  as  can  be  obtained  in  regard  to  these  sub- 
scribers will  be  found  in  Appendix  E. 


34    A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

ask  why  he  is  not  among  the  subscribers.  In  the  in- 
ventory of  furniture  bought  for  the  j)reacher's  house 
we  read  of  money  jmid  to  JVIrs.  White  and  Mrs.  South- 
well for  a  pair  of  sheets,  and  also  to  Mrs.  Southwell  for 
a  saucepan.  Perhaps  he  failed  in  duty  here,  though  we 
would  prefer  to  believe  that  somewhere  among  the 
subscriptions  put  down  as  cash,  or  with  merely  initial 
letters,  his  contribution  is  hid.  In  1773  it  is  stated  in 
the  "  Old  Book"  that  Boardman,  Pihuoor,  Webb,  and 
Southwell  had  left  the  province.  He  must,  there- 
fore, have  been  a  loyalist,  but  we  do  not  find  his  name 
in  the  pubhshed  lists  of  the  loyalists.  The  Palatines 
were  tenants  of  Lord  Southwell  in  Ireland;  perhaps 
this  John  Southwell  was  a  relative  of  his.  It  is  also 
singular  that  the  published  journals  of  Mr.  Asbury  do 
not  contain  his  name. 

But  Philip  Embury's  name  is  not  there.  That,  how- 
ever, may  be  easily  explained.  He  was  comparatively  a 
poor  man,  and  gave  his  time  and  strength  to  the  work. 
His  saw  and  plane  and  hammer  were  diligently  used 
on  the  timber  of  the  building,  and  though  we  find 
some  payments  were  made  to  him,  amounting  in  all  to 
£28  I3s.  11(1,  we  can  readily  believe  that  these  were  but 
a  partial  compensation  for  his  labor.  No  doubt  his  con- 
tribution equaled,  all  things  considered,  that  of  any  of 
his  brethren.  Not  the  least  hint  is  given  that  he  failed 
to  do  his  part.  Thomas  Bell  tells  us  he  (Bell)  worked 
six  days  on  the  building,  whether  for  wages  or  gratu- 
itously he  does  not  say.  David  Norris,  a  carpenter, 
received  more  than  one  hundred  pounds  for  material 
and  labor,  and  John  Gasner  between  ten  and  eleven 
pounds  for  painting  and  glazing.  Samuel  Edmonds 
(the  grandfather  of  Judge  Edmonds,  a  prominent  be- 
liever in  spiritualism),  received  more  than  five  hundred 
pounds  for  mason  work  and  material. 


Geowth.  35 

Mr.  Wesley  sent  fifty  pounds  collected  in  England. 
Under  date  of  October  30,  17G9,  which  must  have  been 
immediately  after  Mr.  Boardman's  arrival  in  New  York, 
we  find  in  the  "Old  Book"  this  entry:  "By  cash  re- 
ceived from  Mr.  Boardman:  1  moidore,  48^.;  ldo.,46.s. ; 
1  If  guineas  at  36^. — £25  16s."  This  is  evidently  a  part 
of  the  fifty  pounds;  all,  probabl}^  that  was  sent  in  cash, 
the  rest  being  in  books,  to  be  sold,  not  only  for  the 
pecuniary  but  spiritual  benefit  of  the  Church.  On  the 
same  page,  therefore  we  find  this:  "1770,  31st  March, 
by  cash  received  from  Mr.  Pilmoor,  on  account  of  books 
sold,  brought  from  England,  seven  half  jo.,  at  64s. 
each,  £22  8s."  This  makes,  with  the  cash  above  re- 
ported, £48  4s.  Some  books  no  doubt  remained  unsold, 
but  it  speaks  well  for  the  intelligence  and  spirituality  of 
the  early  Methodists  that  so  many  were  disposed  of  in 
so  short  a  time.  But  not  from  England  alone  did  the 
John  Street  congregation  receive  help.  The  first  entry 
of  the  current  account  in  the  "  Old  Book  "  reads :  "  By 
cash  from  Mr.  Webb,  which  he  brought  from  Philadel- 
phia, £32."  The  Methodists  of  the  City  of  Brotherly 
Love  had  as  yet  no  church  of  their  own  ;  they  were 
worshii)ing,  as  their  New  York  brethren  had  been 
doing,  in  a  rigging-loft,  but  they  send  a  token  of  Chris- 
tian affection.  From  the  letter  of  Thomas  Bell*  we  learn 
that  the  building  cost  six  hundred  pounds  sterling. 

While  the  church-building  enterprise  was  in  progress 
the  society  began  to  feel  the  need  of  a  pastor  who  could 
devote  his  time  exclusively  to  the  work.  A  letter  was 
written  to  Mr.  Wesley,  stating  their  circumstances  and 
asking  for  "  a  man  of  wisdom,  of  sound  faith,  and  a 
good  disciplinarian."  It  was  signed  T.  T.,  and  was  no 
doubt  from  the  pen  of  Thomas  Taylor,f  one  of  those  to 
whom  the  lease  was  given  in  1768. 

*  See  Appendix  G.  f  See  Appendix  F. 


36    A  History  of  Methodism  ix  Nkw  York  City. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   FIRST  GARXER. 

At  last  Wesley  Chapel,  the  first  Methodist  church 
building  in  America,*  stands  ready  for  occupation.     To 

*  Xevv  York  Methodists  will  claim  that  it  was  the  first.  For  a 
discission  of  the  title  of  Strawbridge  Chapel  to  the  priority,  see 
"W;ikeloy's  Lost  Chapters,  chapters  xvii,  xviii,  and  xix,  and  p.  590  ; 
Daniel's  Illustrated  History  of  Methodism,  p.  376,  etc.;  Atkinson's  Cen- 
tennial History  of  American  Methodism,  p.  1 5,  etc. ;  Stevens's  History 
of  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  i,  p.  72;  Cooper's  Funeral  Discourse 
on  the  death  of  Bishop  Asbnry,  pp.  72,  73,  edition  of  1819;  Wesky^s 
Journal,  August  3,  1760.  The  substance  of  tiie  whole  is  that  Wesley 
heard  of  none  of  earlier  date  than  that  in  Xevv  York  (he  calls  it  tlie 
first  Methodist  preaching-house  in  America).  Lee,  Cooper,  Garrett- 
son,  Morrell,  and  Boehm  (all  early  authorities,  the  first  a  native  of 
Virginia,  the  second  and  third  natives  of  Maryland,  and  all  three 
familiar  with  tlie  region  in  which  Strawbridge  labored)  testify  in 
favor  of  Kmbury  and  New  York;  Daniels  and  Lednum  in  favor  of 
Strawbridge  and  Maryland ;  Atkinson  is  in  doubt ;  and  Stevens  de- 
clares himself  open  to  correction.  There  is  uncertainty  as  to  the 
dates  in  the  Strawbridge  case.  As  to  that  of  Embiny,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  it  was  at  least  as  early  as  1766,  and  some  testimony 
would  place  it  at  1763  or  1760. -J-  The  advocates  of  the  Straw- 
bridge  claim  lay  great  stress  on  the  fact  that  Asbury,  "  bj'  a  remark 
in  his  Journal,  in  1801,  gives  historical  precedence  to  the  Maryland 
society."  At  first  sight  the  passage  may  seem  so  to  do,  but.  studied 
with  its  context,  it  is  capable  of  another  interpretation,  which  is  more 
in  harmony  with  other  testimony  from  the  bishop.  He  was  attending 
Conference  at  Pipe  Creek  in  the  early  part  of  May,  1801.  The  peo- 
ple, he  says,  "were  kind,"  and  he  and  the  preachers  "iiad  rich  enter- 
tainment." It  may  be  presumed  that  he  heard  at  the  table  and  else- 
where a  good  deal  from  this  hospitable  people  about  the  priority  of 
tJicir  society.     If  it  had  convinced  him,  the  entry  in   his   Journal 

i 'WaieleY''s  Lost  Chapters,  p.  179. 


The  First  Garxer,  37 

every  genuine  Methodist  its  appearance  is  of  more  in- 
terest than  that  of  the  finest  cathedral  ever  erected  for 
Christian  worship.  Its  exterior  is  familiar  to  us  from 
the  engraving  which  is  given  on  the  opposite  page. 
The  ground  being  higher  than  the  expected  level  of  the 

would  probably  have  read,  "ITere  Mr.  Strawbridge  formed  the  first 
society  in  America;"  the  word  Maryland  would  have  been  superflu- 
ous. But  he  writes,  "  The  first  society  in  Maryland,"  and  then,  after 
a  hyphen,  tlie  two  words  iu  italics,  "  and  America,''''  (they  are  hoth 
italicized  in  the  first  edition  of  the  Journal);  so  it  reads  "the  first 
society  in  M;iryland — and  America,''''  which  may  be  understood,  x>os- 
sihly  in  America.  But  whatever  he  may  have  thought  about  the 
location  of  the  first  society,  he  says  nothing  about  the  chapel.  If  he 
believed  ihe  Pipe  Creek  building  to  be  the  earliest,  why  did  he  leave 
the  preface  to  the  Discipline  uncorrected  during  the  nearly  fifteen 
succeeding  years  of  his  life,  and  why  leave  his  intimate  friend  Cooper 
iu  error?  and  how  was  it  that  Henry  Boehm,  the  bishop's  traveling 
companion  for  five  years,  wlio  was  with  him  several  times  at  Pipe 
Creek,  never  heard,  either  from  the  bishop  or  any  one  else,  "  any  claim 
that  Methodism  in  Maryland  was  earlier  thaa  in  New  York,"  or, 
"that  the  log  meeting-house  in  Marjdand  was  erected  first?"*  Were 
Asbury's  prejudices  against  Strawbridge  so  strong  that  he  could  not 
do  liim  justice?  It  must  be  confessed  that  he  does  show  some  animus 
against  Strawbridge,  especially  if  the  entry  in  his  Journal  of  September 
3,  1781,  refers  to  him.  It  reads:  "I  visited  the  Bush  Chapeh  The 
people  here  once  left  us  to  follow  another.  Time  was  when  the  labors 
of  their  leader  were  made  a  blessing  to  them  ;  but  pride  is  a  hosy  sin. 
He  is  now  no  more:  upon  the  whole,  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  Lord 
took  him  away  in  judgment  because  he  was  in  a  way  to  do  hurt  to 
his  cause;  and  that  he  saved  him  in  mercy  because,  from  his  death- 
bed conversation,  he  appears  to  have  had  hope  in  his  end."  "  Asburj-'s 
great  military  soul  could  pardon  almost  any  offense  but  insubordina- 
tion to  authority.  Not  only  Strawbridge's  persistence  in  the  admin- 
istration of  ihei^acraments  but  his  continued  charge  of  the  Sam's  Creek 
and  Brush  Forest  congregations  displeased  the  bishop."  Stevens's 
History  of  Metliodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  i,  p.  79.  But  we  cannot 
suppose  that  this  would  lead  him  to  persist  iu  a  statement  he  be- 
lieved to  be  false. 

*  See,  carefully,  H.  Boebm's  letter,  Wakeloy's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  590. 

418596 


38    A  History  of  Mkthodism  ix  New  York  City. 

street,  the  entrance  to  the  Ijuilding  was  placed  a  few 
steps  below  the  surface.  When  the  work  of  grading 
was  done,  however,  it  was  found  that  not  sufficient  al- 
lowance had  been  made,  and  the  building  stood  above 
the  line  of  the  sidewalk.  The  house  in  antique  Dutch 
style  on  the  right  of  the  engraving,  and  partly  in 
front  of  the  church,  was  evidently  there  before  the 
church  was  erected.  It  was  occupied  as  a  parsonage, 
and  in  it  also  was  kept  the  Methodist  library,  of  whirh 
the  preachers  had  charge,  giving  out  books  on  Friday 
evening  after  service.  The  basement  was  the  dwelling 
of  the  sexton.*  In  front  was  a  tight  board  fence,  in 
which  was  a  gate-way  and  a  small  door  between  it  and 
the  parsonage.  Within  it  was  an  area,  paved  with 
brick,  about  thirty  feet  wide.  The  edifice  was  forty- 
two  by  sixty  feet.  It  was  built  of  rough  stone  covered 
with  liglit  blue  plaster.  The  center  door-waj^  and  cir- 
cular window  above  it  were  arched  with  brick  painted 
red,  as  appears  from  the  old  colored  engraving.f  Be- 
sides this  circular  window  we  see  three  upper  windows 
and  a  door  on  each  side  of  the  central  door,  but  at  a 
higlier  level.  These  communicated  with  the  galleries, 
the  women  using  that  on  the  right  and  the  men  that  on 

*  Short  Historical  Account  of  the  Early  Society  of  Methodists,  Estab- 
lished ill  the  City  of  Ntiv  York,  p.  6. 

f  The  engraving  referred  to,  which  is  beheved  to  be  the  original  of 
all  that  have  been  published,  is  the  fromispieco  of  a  large  pamphlet, 
fifteen  by  twelve  inches,  issued  in  1824  by  "W.  &  P.  0.  Smith,  en- 
titled, A  Short  Historical  Account  of  the  Early  Society  of  Method- 
ists, Established  in  the  City  of  Neiu  York.  It  is  from  a  picture 
painted,  I  believe,  by  one  of  the  publishers,  who  were  sons  of  Joseph 
Smith,  a  prominent  member  who  died  in  1840,  after  a  membership  of 
more  than  fifty  j^ears.  A  tablet  to  his  memory  is  in  the  present 
John  Street  Church.  The  copy  of  the  pamplilet  in  the  hands  of  tiie 
author  of  this  lacks  the  engraving,  but  it  may  be  found  in  the  copy 
in  the  library  of  the  New  York  Historical  Society. 


The  First  Garner.  39 

the  left.  These,  however,  are  said  to  have  been  added 
at  a  later  period.  If  so  there  were  probably  windows 
there  when  the  house  was  built.  Rev.  D,  Devinne  says 
the  picture  is  a  good  one,  and  thinks  there  was  but  little 
alteration  from  the  time  it  was  built.* 

For  a  view  of  the  interior,  however,  we  have  to 
depend  on  such  meager  traditions  as  have  come  down 
to  us.  The  pulpit,  built,  we  are  told,  by  Embury's  own 
hands,  stood  opposite  the  door,  probably  very  nearly  on 
the  spot  occupied  by  that  of  the  present  building.  As 
to  its  height  and  general  appearance  testimonies  differ. 
One  witness,!  who  was  familiar  with  the  building  from 
1806  until  the  close  of  its  history,  thinks  that  from  the 
floor  to  the  book-board  it  was  about  seven  or  eight  feet. 
If  so,  the  elevation  of  the  platform  could  not  have  been 
above  four  feet.  Another,^  who,  however,  was  in  it 
but  a  few  times,  estimates  the  platform  at  about 
three  feet  high,  with  a  railing  in  front.  But  Dr. 
N.  Bangs  §  says  the  pulpit  was  "  so  high  that  a  per- 
son in  the  altar  could  stand  beneath  it,  and  so  narrow 
that  only  one  person  could  occu])y  it  at  one  time.  It 
had  three  steps  in  it  to  accommodate  the  heights  of  the 
several  preachers."  It  always  made  him  dizzy  to  preach 
from  it.  Mr.  Disosway  thinks  three  persons  could  oc- 
cupy the  pulpit  at  once.  He  says  it  had  a  flight  of 
steps  on  the  west  side  which  were  straight,  not  wind- 
ing. It  is  not  probable  that  any  altar  rail  was  put  in 
at  first.  The  Methodists,  until  1784,  were  accustomed 
to  go  to  the  Church  of  England  for  the  sacraments, 
and  the  practice  of  inviting  seekers  to  the  altar  was  not 

*  Methodist,  vol.  xvi,  p.  243. 
f  C.  R.  Disosway,  Esq. 
\  Mrs.  Joseph  Loiigking. 

§  Address  at  laying  corner-stone  of  Yorkville  second  Church  (now 
Park  Avenue),  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxxiii,  p.  137. 
4 


40    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

introduced,  at  least  in  New  York,  until  1806.*  For 
many  years  the  intei'ior  was  only  partly  finished.  The 
gallery  had  neithei-  breastwork,  nor  stairs,  nor  seats. 
Men  and  boys  reached  it  by  a  ladder  and  sat  on  the 
floor  of  the  platform.  For  a  long  while  the  seats  on 
the  lower  floor  were  without  backs  and  unpainted  ; 
but  it  was  neat  and  clean,  the  floor  sprinkled  with  sand. 
Mr.  Disosway  says  that,  barring  the  pulpit  and  the  gal- 
leries, it  looked  like  a  Quaker  meeting-house.f  Immedi- 
ately in  front  of  the  pulpit  was  a  square  space  in  which, 
in  cold  weather,  was  a  wood  stove,  with  benches  around 
it.  J  These  warm  seats  were,  of  course,  the  favorite  resort 
of  the  boys;  and,  just  before  the  preacher  commenced 
his  sermon,  the  sexton  would  sftoo,  or  drive  them  away. 
In  warm  weather,  also,  he  did  the  same  to  the  boys  on 
the  Avindow-sills  of  the  galleries,  as  he  said  they 
stopped  the  air  from  coming  in.  Mr.  Disosway  thinks 
the  church  had  no  lamps.  §  He  remembers  that,  in  the 
center,  there  Avas  a  chandelier,  with  brass  sockets,  and 
he  thinks  there  must  have  been  "  branches  "  against  the 
walls.  These  were  filled  with  tallow  candles,  ||  which 
the  sexton  used  to  snuff  at  intervals  with  his  fingers. 
A  clock  Avas  on  the  gallery  in  front  of  the  pulpit.    This, 

*  See  pp.  85,  170. 

f  Mrs.  Longking  says  it  looked  like  a  country  school-house.  She 
thinks  the  seats  had  straiglit  backs.  There  was  nothing  like  pews, 
as  in  churches  generally.  The  scats  and  floor  were  scrubbed  very 
white.  At  her  first  visit  she  looked  in  al  the  door  and  stood  hesitat- 
ing, when  an  old  lady  said  to  her:  "Come  in;  it's  as  free  as  the 
kingdom  of  heaven." 

:j:  This  was  probably  "  the  large  square  pew  in  front  of  the  altar  " 
in  which,  Mrs.  Mason  says,  "  the  plan  of  Sabbath-school  operations 
W'S  determined."     Life  of  Mrs.  Mary  W.  Mason,  p.  70. 

§  Here,  however,  he  is  probably  mistaken  in  part.  In  the  '•  Old 
Book  "  there  are  cliarges  for  lamps,  but  it  is  likely  these  were  used 
only  in  the  pulpit,  as  there  are  also  charges  for  candles. 

1!  Bat  the  "  Old  Book  "  has  charges  for  spermaceti  candles. 


The  First  Garner.  41 

it  was  said,  came  from  England  and  was  the  gift  of 
John  Wesley.*  It  is  in  the  lecture-room  of  the  present 
church,  still  keeping  good  time.  An  inscription  on  it 
reads,  "  Be  ye  also  ready,  for  in  such  an  hour  as  ye 
think  not,  the  Son  of  man  cometh."  Matt,  xxv,  44. 
For  more  than  one  hundred  years  it  has  been  telling 
the  time — those  to  whom  it  first  told  it,  and  thousands 
who  have  looked  on  it  since,  have  gone  to  their  graves; 
hut  it  still  ticks  on,  and  will  probably  do  so  when  the 
writer  and  his  readers  have  no  more  to  do  with  time. 

In  the  Colonies,  as  well  as  in  England,  tnose  who 
Avere  not  of  the  "Church  as  by  law  established,"  were 
dissenters,  and  not  allowed  to  erect  regular  churches,  at 
least  in  the  city;  the  new  l)uilding  was,  therefore,  pro- 
vided with  a  fire-place  and  cliimney  to  avoid  "the  dif- 
ficult}^ of  the  law,"  making  it  thereby  technically  a 
dwelling-house. 

The  building  would  hold  about  seven  hundred,!  and  no 
doubt  was  w^ell  filled  wdien,  on  October  30,  1768,  Philip 
Embury,  having  laid  aside  his  saw  and  plane  and  hammer, 
entered  the  pulpit.  The  text  of  that  first  sermon,  we  are 
told,  was  Hos.  x,  12:  "Sow  to  yourselves  in  righteous- 
ness, reape  after  the  measure  of  mercie;  break  up  your 
fallow  ground,  for  it  is  time  to  seeke  the  Lord,  till  he 
come  and  raine  righteousnes  upon  you."  J  The  breaking 
up  of  the  fallow  ground  and  the  sowing  in  righteousness 

*  But  a  writer  in  Chrintlan  Advocate,  vol.  Ixi,  p.  379,  says  Embury 
brought  it  from  Ireland,  and  C.  K,.  Disosxvay,  Esq.,  in  a  note  to  the 
author,  says  lie  lias  doubts  about  the  clock. 

f  Mr.  Boardman  wrote  to  Wesley  in  1769:  "Our  liouso  contains 
about  1700  persons."     A  typographical  error  no  doubt  for  700. 

\  This  is  the  reading  of  the  passage  as  it  stands  in  what  is  called 
the  Embury  Bible,  which  is  said  to  be  the  book  wln'ch  Emburj''  used 
on  that  occasion.  It  is  now  in  the  care  of  Mrs.  John  A.  Currier,  of 
Fulton  Street,  New  York.  An  account  of  it  will  be  found  in  the 
Appendix  H. 


42     A  History  of  Methodism  in^  Neav  York  City. 

was  begun;  the  Lord  was  souglit,  and  he  was  about  to 
rain  righteousness  upon  them.  No  especial  services  of 
dedication  seem  to  have  been  used,  and  we  Avill  all  agree 
with  Embury,  that  "  the  best  dedication  of  a  pulpit  was 
to  preach  a  good  sermon  in  it,"* 

The  house  was  soon  filled  with  hearers.  In  May, 
1769,  Thomas  Bell,f  speaking  of  Embury  and  Webb, 
writes:  "  The  Lord  carries  on  a  very  great  woi'k  b}'  these 
two  men."  In  tlie  folloAving  November,  shortly  after 
his  arrival,  Boardman  wrote  Wesley:  "About  a  third 
part  of  those  who  attend  get  in,  the  rest  are  glad  to 
hear  without.  There  appears  such  a  willingness  in  the 
Americans  to  hear  the  word  as  I  never  saw  before."  J 

*  Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  110. 

f  Letter  of  Thomas  Bell,  Appendix  G. 

J  Stevens's  History  of  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  vol.  i,  p.  103. 


MoRK  Laborers.  43 


CHAPTER  V. 

MORE     LABORERS. 


The  first  news  of  the  Avork  in  America  reached  Mr, 
Wesley,  probably  through  the  letter  of  Thomas  Taylor, 
■written  in  April,  1768.*  In  the  Minutes  for  1709,  when 
the  Conference  met  at  Leeds,  he  said  to  the  preachers: 
"  We  have  a  pressing  call  from  our  brethren  of  New 
York  to  come  over  and  help  them.  AVho  is  willing  to 
go?"  At  first,  it  seems,  there  was  some  hesitation 
about  volunteering,  nor  can  we  wonder  at  it.  A  voyage 
across  the  Atlantic  Ocean  was  a  serious  thing  in  those 
days,  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  the  spirit  of  inde- 
pendence, which  was  beginning  to  exhibit  itself  in  the 
Colonies,  made  them  less  attractive  to  men  who,  like 
their  spiritual  father,  were  loyal  to  the  crown  of  En- 
gland. The  Conference,  we  are  told,  sat  in  silence,  no 
man  answering.  The  next  morning  Mr.  Wesley,  as 
was  his  custom,  preached  at  five  o'clock,  and  took  for 
Ids  text,  "I  have  nourished  and  brought  up  children, 
and  they  have  rebelled  against  me,"  When  Conference 
re-assembled  the  appeal  was  repeated,  and  then  was  re- 
sponded to  bj- Richard  Boardman  and  Joseph  Pilmoor.f 

Richard  Boardman  had  been  in  the  work  about  six 
years,  and  was  about  thirty-one  years  of  age.  Wesley 
calls  him  "  a  pious,  good-natured,  sensible  man,  greatly 
beloved  of  all  that  knew  him."  One  Methodist  histo- 
rian I  describes  him  as  "  a  man  of  great  piety,  amiable 

*  Appendix  F. 

f  Stevens's  History  of  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  i,  p.  95. 
:{:  Atmore,  p,  58;   Sievens's  History  of  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
vol.  i,  p,  95. 


44    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

disposition,  and  strong  understanding."  Asbury  says  he 
was  a  "kind,  loving,  worthy  man,  truly  amiable  and 
entei'tainiiig,  and  of  a  child-like  temper."  Two  years 
at  least  among  the  fervid  Methodists  of  Yorkshire  had 
added  to  his  zeal,  and  a  season  on  the  rugged  circuit  of 
the  "  Dales,"  with  its  hard  travel,  incessant  work,  and 
wintry  storms,  had  trained  him  for  the  perils  and  hard- 
ships of  a  new  country.*  He  was  mourning  the  recent 
loss  of  his  wife,  when  he  set  out  for  Bristol  to  embark. 
He  preached  on  the  way  as  opportunity  offered,  and  no 
doubt  excited  as  much  interest  among  his  hearers  as  a 
missionary  to  the  heart  of  Africa  would  create  at  the 
present  day. 

Joseph  Pilmoor  was  converted  in  his  sixteenth  year 
through  the  preaching  of  Wesley,  had  been  educated  at 
Kingswood  school,  and  had  labored  about  four  years  in 
Cornwall  and  Wales.  He  was  a  man  of  commanding 
presence,  with  a  ruddy  complexion  and  strong  voice, 
ready  of  speech,  and  of  much  executive  ability. 

The  two  evangelists  embarked  at  Bristol,  in  the  latter 
part  of  August,  1769,  and,  after  a  rough  passage  of 
nine  weeks,  arrived  at  Gloucester  Point,  six  miles  below 
Philadelphia,  on  the  24tli  of  October.  Captain  Webb 
was  in  Philadelphia  to  receive  them,  and  after  a  few 
days  spent  there,  leaving  Pilmoor  to  minister  to  a 
society  of  about  one  hundred  inembers  in  that  city, 
Boardman  hastened  to  New  York. 

But  the  Macedonian  cry,  "  Come  over  and  help  us," 
had  reached  the  ears  of  others  besides  the  members  of 
the  Wesleyan  Conference.  Robert  \Villiams,f  a  local 
preacher,  applied  to  Mr.  Wesley  for  authority  to  preach 
in  America,  and  permission   was   given,  provided    he 

*Por  several  interesting  incidents  in  his  experience,  see  Stevens's 
Eistory  of  Methodist  Episcopal  Churcli,  vol.  i,  p.  96,  etc. 
f  Nothing  about  his  early  histor\-  can  be  found. 


More  Laborers.  45 

would  labor  under  the  direction  of  the  missionaries  who 
were  about  to  be  sent  over.  His  friend  Ashton  was 
preparing  to  emigrate,  and  learning  that  he  was  about 
to  embark,  Williams  hurried  to  the  port,  sold  his  horse 
to  pay  his  debts,  and,  taking  his  saddle-bags  on  his  arm, 
and  a  loaf  of  bread  and  a  bottle  of  milk  as  his  only 
provision,  hastened  to  the  ship,  with  no  money  to  pay 
his  passage,  thus  following  to  the  veiy  letter  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Master  to  his  disciples,  "  Provide  neither 
gold,  nor  silver,  nor  brass  in  your  purses;  nor  scrip  for 
your  journey,  neither  two  coats,  neither  shoes,  nor  yet 
staves."  He  trusted  that  his  friend  Ashton  would  pro- 
vide the  needed  funds,  and  he  was  not  disappointed. 
We  shall  meet  with  Ashton's  name  hereafter. 

Williams  reached  New  York  in  September,  1769,*  and 
was  preaching  there  when  Boardman  arrived.  Going 
then  to  Philadelphia  and  afterwai'd  to  Maryland,  he 
labored  in  conjunction  with  Robert  Strawbridge.  One 
of  the  fruits  of  his  ministry  there  was  the  conversion 
of  Jesse  Lee.  He  has  been  called  the  apostle  of  Meth- 
odism in  Virginia.  For  about  six  years  he  was  one  of 
the  most  effective  pioneers.  In  1771  we  find  him  in 
Xew  York  again.  In  the  first  published  Minutes  he  is 
appointed  to  Petersburg,  Va, ;  in  1774  he  married,  and 
in  1775  finished  his  course.  Asbury,  liaving  preached 
his  funeral  sermon,  says:  "Perhaps  no  one  in  America 
has  been  an  instrument  of  awakening  so  many  souls." 
To  him  also  is  to  be  ascribed  the  distinction  of  being 
the  first  itinerant  Methodist  preacher  in  America  who 
published  a  book,  the  first  to  marry,  and  the  first  to 
die.  In  the  Minutes  of  the  Conference  held  in  Phila- 
delphia,  June,   1773   (the  first  which   were  published), 

*  Dr.  "Wakelcy,  in  his  Heroes  of  Methodism,  says  October.  But  in 
the  "  Old  Book  "  we  find  a  charge  for  a  hat  for  Mr.  WiUiams  bought 
September  20. 


46    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

among  the  "  rules  agreed  to  by  all  the  preachers  present " 
we  have  these:  "4.  None  of  the  preachers  in  America 
to  reprint  any  of  Mr.  Wesley's  books  without  his  au- 
thority (when  it  can  be  gotten)  and  tlie  consent  of  their 
brethren,  5.  Robert  Williams  to  sell  the  books  he  has 
already  printed,  but  to  print  no  more  unless  under  the 
above  restrictions." 

The  fact  that  Williams  Avas  but  scantily  provided  for 
his  voyage  is  illustrated  by  what  we  read  in  the  "  Old 
Book."  There,  as  has  already  been  told,  we  have  a 
charge  on  September  20,  1769,  "  for  a  hat  for  Mr.  Will- 
iams, £2  55."  On  October  9,  Ave  find  entered  "three 
pair  stockings*  for  Mr.  Williams  and  Mr.  Embury, 
£1  Is.  9c?.,"  and  finally,  on  "October  30,  a  cloak  for  Mr. 
Robert  W^illiams,  £3  Os.  QcV  Thus  he  was  literally 
clothed  from  head  to  foot — hat  and  stockings  and  cloak. 
To  the  question  of  the  Master,  then,  "  When  I  sent  you 
without  purse,  and  scrip,  and  shoes,  lacked  ye  any 
thing  ?  "  he,  like  the  disciples,  could  say,  "  Nothing." 

A  few  more  words  about  Mr.  Williams.  In  March, 
1770,  he  is  in  New  York  again,  as  appears  from  charges 
in  the  "  Old  Book  "  for  horsekeeping,  postage,  flaimel, 
and  medical  attendance.  In  1771  he  is  there  again,  as 
we  find  entries  of  cash  paid  to  himself  and  for  the  keep- 
ing of  his  horse.  To  the  three  particulars  in  which  Mr, 
Williams  led  the  way  in  this  country,  as  already  stated, 
another  must  be  added  —  the  first  love-feast  ticket 
known  to  be  in  existence  was  given  by  him.  It  bears 
the  name  Hannah  Dean  (afterward  the  wife  of  Paul 
Hick),  and  was  not  printed,  but  the  whole  of  it  written. f 

Boardraan,  as  we  have  seen,  arrived  in  New  York  on 
or  before  October  30,  1769,  and  immediately  paid  over 

*  Is  this  meant  for  three  pair  apiece  or  three  pair  in  all  ?     If  the 
last,  how  did  the  two  good  men  share  them  ? 
f  See  Appendix  U. 


More  Laborers.  47 

to  the  treasurer,  Mr.  William  Lupton,  the  money  sent 
by  Mr.  Wesley  to  the  church.  He  also  jjromptly  began 
to  methodize  things.  The  following  minute  is  found 
in  the  "  Old  Book  "  on  the  third  page  after  the  list  of 
subscriptions:  "Mr.  Richard  Boardman,  Assistant  to 
and  Preacher  in  Connection  with  the  Rev.  John  Wes- 
ley, Also  Philip  Embury,  Local  preacher,  and  William 
Lupton,  a  Trustee  and  Steward  (in  N.  York),  thinking 
it  Necessary  that  some  regulations  should  be  made  for 
the  Preachers  in  New  York,  Agreed,  on  the  1st  of  No- 
vember, 1769,  in  New  York, 

"  1.  That  each  Preacher,  having  Labored  three  months 
in  N.  York,  Shall  receive  three  Guineas  to  provide 
themselves  with  Wearing  apparel.* 

"  2.  That  there  shall  be  Preaching  on  Sunday  ]Morn- 
ing  and  Sunday  Evening,  also  on  Tuesday  and  Thurs- 
day Evenings,  and  the  Preacher  to  meet  the  Society 
Every  Wednesday  Evening."  The  hours  are  not  speci- 
fied, but  it  is  likely  that  the  morning  service  was  held 
earlier  than  that  of  the  Church  of  England.  And  now 
the  wheels  of  tlie  itinerant  engine  begin  to  revolve. 
Boardman  and  Pilmoor  spend  two  or  three  months  al- 
ternately in  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  preaching  on 
tlieir  way  back  and  forth  in  diiferent  parts  of  New 
Jersey.      W^e    find    their    names    in    the   old    accounts 

*  Besides  this  "quarterage,"  as  it  would  have  been  called  after- 
ward, the  preachers  received  their  board  or  housekeepino:  expenses. 
Generally  these  are  set  down  in  one  sum  under  the  title  of  preachers' 
housekeeping,  but  we  have  1770,  September- 10,  to  cash  paid  for  a 
Glocester  cheese,  £0  19s.  2d.  We  find,  also,  payments  for  tlieir  wash- 
ing, traveling  expenses,  liorsekeeping,  medicine,  and  medical  attend- 
ance, postage,  shaving,  poll-tax,  and  paper.  As  to  this  last  item,  the 
last  page  of  the  "  Old  Book  "  is  headed  "  Memorandums,"  and  then 
follows:  "The  Preachers  are  allowed  one  quire  of  writing-paper  for 
every  Quarter,  and  no  more."  If  preachers  in  those  days  would  write 
sermons  they  must  buy  their  own  paper. 


48    A  History  of  Methodism  ix  Xeav  York  City. 

frequently  in  connection  Avith  payments  for  traveling 
expenses,  postage,  board,  and  the  allowance  as  had  been 
decided  on. 

The  name  "America"  appears  in  1770  for  the  first 
time  in  the  list  of  appointments  in  the  English  Minutes. 
Four  preachers  are  assigned  to  it — Joseph  Pilmoor, 
Richard  Boardman,  Robert  Williams,  and  John  King. 
In  the  English  Minutes  of  1771  m'c  have  the  first  report 
of  members,  the  number  being  three  hundred  and  six- 
teen. Another  call  was  made  for  volunteers  in  the 
new  field,  and  Francis  Asbury  and  Richard  Wright  re- 
sponded. But  before  we  take  a  look  at  these  men,  one 
of  whom  afterward  filled  so  large  a  space  in  the  his- 
tory of  American  Methodism,  it  is  necessary  to  glance 
at  one  or  two  mattere  of  some  interest  to  XeAV  York 
Methodists. 

The  first  of  these  is  the  departure  of  Philip  Embury. 
The  exact  date  of  this  cannot  be  ascertained,  but  it 
must  have  been  between  April  10  and  August  13, 
1770.  Under  the  earlier  date  Ave  read  in  the  "  Old 
Book:"  "To  cash  paid  Philip  Embury  to  buy  a  Con- 
cordance, £2  OS."  This  was  probably  a  parting  gift 
from  the  society.  Then  we  have,  August  13  of  the 
same  year,  an  entry  which  tallies  Avith  a  receipt  Avhich 
will  be  found  in  Appendix  E  (p.  437).  It  Avould  seem 
that  something  connected  with  the  church  property  re- 
cpiired  his  action,  and,  not  being  able  to  come  himself 
to  attend  to  it,  he  sent  his  bi'other  as  his  attorney. 
After  this  the  name  of  Embury  disappears  from  the 
"  Old  Book." 

David  Embury's  journey  Avas  from  Camden,  Albany 
County,  N.  Y.  To  this  phice  Philip  and  his  family  and 
others  removed  Avhen  they  left  the  city.  There  is 
reason  to  belicA^e  that  this  Avas  not  a  sudden  dei:)arture, 
as  some  steps  in  that  direction   had  been  taken   nearly 


MoRK  Laisukeks.  49 

five  years  Lefore.*  But  the  removal  of  these  Palatines 
from  New  York  may  have  been  hastened,  if  it  were  not 
cansed  in  part,  by  the  state  of  public  feeling  in  the  city. 
They  were  loyalists,  and  were  to  be  commended  for 
this.f  The  battle  of  Golden  Hill,J  had  just  taken  place 
(January,  1770),  and  as  peaceable  citizens,  disposed  to 
favor  the  government,  they  naturally  preferred  to  be 
out  of  the  fray.  There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that 
Embury  went  especially  to  plant  Methodism  in  a  new 
field ;  there  was  nothing  that  called  for  his  labor  there 
any  more  than  in  other  places. § 

Embury  occupied  a  house  with  Peter  Switzcr,  his 
brother-in-law,  who  owned  a  farm  of  two  hundred  acres 
one  mile  north  of  what  is  now  known  as  East  Salem. 
It  was  a  comfortable  frame  building,  twenty  by  thirty- 
five  feet,  with  an  old-fashioned  piazza  in  front.  The 
frame  was  still  standing  some  twenty  j-ears  ago,  though 
removed  from  its  original  site,  and  used  as  a  barn. 

While  laboring  on  the  farm,  and  at  his  trade  as  car- 
penter, Embury  also  preached  and  organized  classes  ir; 
the  neighborhood,  and  to  him  is  generally  conceded 
the  honor  of  forming  the  first  Methodist  society  north 
of  New  York  city.  Thomas  Asliton  was,  no  doubt,  the 
chief  pillar  in  the  Ashgrove  Society,  and  his  house  the 
home  of  tlie  itinerant  preachers.!  Here,  on  July  1, 1803, 
the  New  York  Conference  held  its  session,  attended,  as  Ave 
learn  from  Bishop  Asburj^'s  Journal,  by  nearly  seventy 
members.     At  the   Sunday  service   the  bishop  thought 

*  See  Appendix  I. 

f  See  Appendix  J.  I  See  Appendix  E.  (p.  443.) 

§  B.  Hawlej',  in  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  Iviii,  p.  820. 

II  He  left  a  legacy  of  three  acres  of  ground  lor  a  parsonage,  also  a 
cow  for  the  use  of  the  preacher,  and,  though  not  a  bachelor  himself, 
an  annuity  of  ten  dollars  to  the  oldest  unmarried  preacher  of  the  New 
York  Conference.     He  died  in  June,  1801.    Methodist,  vol.  vii,  p.  353. 


50    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  Yokk  City. 

they  liad  two  thousand  hearers.  "  This,"  says  he,  "  is 
a  very  eligible  place  for  Albany,  New  York,  Genesee,  • 
Pittsfield,  and  Vermont  Districts;  but  the  Conference 
ought  to  be  divided  between  the  two  old  societies  of 
New  York  and  Ashgrove."  Five  Conferences  now 
occupy  the  territory  then  included  in  one,  to  say  noth- 
ing- of  the  whole  region  of  Canada,  then  attached  to  the 
New  York  Conference.  Ashgrove  is  in  the  Troy  Con- 
ference of  this  day. 

Embury  becaiue  a  magistrate,  and  was  familiarly 
known  as  "the  Squire."  In  the  month  of  August, 
1773,*  he  was  mowing  beneath  a  burning  sun,  and  an 
attempt  was  made,  by  some  who  worked  with  him, 
to  outdo  "  the  Squire."  He  imprudently  overdid  him- 
self, and  was  taken  with  pleurisy,  of  which  he  died  in  a 
few  daj'S,  at  the  age  of  forty-live.  The  venerable 
Abraham  Bininger  attended  him  during  his  illness  and 
officiated  at  his  burial.  He  found  a  grave  for  a  season 
on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Bininger  (not  that  of  his  brother-in- 
law,  Peter  Switzer,  as  has  been  stated  f),  but  in  1832 
his  remains  were  removed  to  Ashgrove,  and  again,  during 
the  session  of  the  Troy  Conference  at  Cambridge,  in 
1866,  they  were  transferred  to  that  place  with  appro- 
priate services.  Embury's  widow  afterward  removed  to 
Canada  West  with  the  Hecks  and  others  of  the  Irish 
Palatines,  and  settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  Augusta. 
She  mariied  John  Lawrence,  one  of  the  little  congrega- 
tion that  listened  to  the  first  sermon  in  Barracks  Street, 
New  York,  and  died  in  1 807,  aged  sixty-four  years.  Em- 
bury, it  is  said,  was  about  six  feet  high,  and  of  well- 
developed  form. 

Turning    again    to    the    "  Old    Book,"  we    find    this 

♦Letter  of  Rev.  B.  Hawley,  D.D.,  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  Ixiii, 
p.  240. 

\  Methodist,  vol.  vii,  p.  329. 


More  Laborers.  51 

entry:  "1770,  April  24,  to  cash  paid  Mr.  Doughty  for 
instruction  in  singing,  £2  6s."  Embury,  we  are  told, 
was  a  good  singer,  and  others  of  the  society,  no 
doubt,  could  make  sweet  melody  to  the  Lord;  but  now 
they  began  to  feel  the  need  of  more  harmony  in  tune 
and  time,  and  Mr.  Doughty  leads  the  list  of  singing- 
teachers  among  the  Methodists  in  America.* 

About  this  time,  also,  the  people  began  to  supply  fur- 
niture for  the  parsonage  or  preacher's  house,  as  it  was 
then  called.  Board  and  lodging  had  been  provided  by 
Mr.  Sause,  as  we  learn  by  various  payments  made  to 
him;  but  now  we  have  charges  for  brushes,  feather  beil, 
bolster,  pillows,  sheets,  bedstead,  safe,  blankets,  plates, 
chairs,  saucepan,  and  looking-glass;  also  for  preacher's 
housekeeping  and  the  wages  of  Rachel  and  Mrs.  An- 
derson. The  list  of  articles  bought  or  borrowed  will 
be  found  in  Appendix  K.  Many  a  Methodist  preacher 
since  that  day  would  have  been  thankful  for  as  much 
furniture  as  was  provided  for  the  house  in  John  Street.f 

But  the  best  furnished  Methodist  parsonage  at  the 
present  time  would  not  be  likely  to  be  supplied  with  as 
many  as  "  three  wine-glasses."  And  this  item  in  the 
"  Old  Book  "  is  not  the  only  one  that  suggests  thoughts 
in  regard  to  the  changes  that  have  taken  place  in  the 
sentiments  and  customs  of  the  Christian  community. 
Those  old  Methodists  not  only  provided  wine-glasses, 
but  something  to  put  in  them.  We  read:  "1771,  Feb- 
ruary 11,  to  cash  paid  Mr.  Staples  for  sugar  and  wine, 
etc.,  £0  136\  9f?."  No  other  charge  of  the  kind,  however, 
appears  until  May  15,  1778,  when  six  bottles  of  wine 
were  bought,  and  on  June  23  six  bottles  of  port  wine. 
On  September  11  they  got  two  gallons  of  spirits,  and 
at   least   five   more   charges  of  the  same  kind  follow, 

*  For  choristers  and  singing,  see  Appendix  W. 
\  For  a  description  of  the  house,  see  Appendix  L. 


52    A  History  op  MEXHODisii  ix  New  York  City. 

generally  for  about  the  same  quantity  ;  and,  lest  there 
should  be  any  mistake  as  to  its  use,  it  is  in  two  cases 
expressly  said  to  be  "for  the  preachers."*  Patriotic 
Americans  may  take  a  little  comfort  from  the  fact  that 
all  tliese  cliarges,  except  the  first,  are  dated  in  1778  and 
1779,  when  New  York  was  occupied  by  the  British  army, 
and  the  preachers  and  people  who  remained  must  have 
been  almost  without  exception  loyalists.  But  it  will  be 
safest  not  to  throw  stones. 

And  in  this  connection  it  may  be  well  to  introduce 
another  transaction,  ihougli  of  a  later  date,  and  for 
which,  therefore,  Americans  must  be  held  responsible: 
"1790,  March  29,  cash  paid  for  a  ticket  in  the  lottery,  £2." 
AVe  wonder  now  that  colleges,  schools,  libraries,  and 
even  churches  should  have  been  willing  to  use  such 
means  to  obtain  funds;  but  the  practice  is  not  altogether 
obsolete  even  now  among  Methodists.  It  does  not  ap- 
pear from  the  book  that  the  venture  was  ])rofital)le.f 

But  to  return  to  1770.  Under  date  of  October  29 
of  that  year  we  find  in  tlie  "Old  Book"  this  entry: 
"  To  cash  paid  for  a  deed  in  trust  from  Mr.  Forbes  to 
the  seven  trustees  appointed  by  Richard  Boardman, 
£3  85.  ^dy  This  is  the  charge  for  preparing  tho  deed, 
etc.  The  amount  paid  for  the  ground  is  stated  to  be 
"ten  shillings  cu'rent  money  of  the  Province  of  New 
York."  This,  however,  must  have  been  only  a  nomi- 
nal payment.  What  the  actual  cost  of  the  ground  was 
is  nowhere  stated,  but  it  Avas,  it  seems,  at  least  six  hun- 
dred pounds. J 

*  "Old  Book,"  April  14  and  July  7,  1779. 

\  It  has  been  said  tluit  some  of  the  funds  for  the  church  building 
"were  obtained  by  lottery,  but  no  evidence  of  this  can  be  found. 

:|:  On  a  page  in  the  "Old  Book,"  giving  an  account  of  debts  in  July, 
1763,  we  read:  "To  the  Widow  Bartley  (Barclay),  as  per  mortgage 
and  bond  given,  six  inmdrcd  pounds." 


The  Reapers  Begix  their  Rounds.  53 


CHAPTER  VL 

THE    REAPERS   BEGIN    THEIR   ROUNDS. 

New  York  and  Philadelpliia,  were  the  most  promi- 
nent centers  of  action  for  Methodist  work.  Boardman 
began  his  labors  at  the  first  and  Pilraoor  at  the  other. 
Among  the  first-fruits  of  Boardman's  ministry  in  New 
York  "  was  the  conversion  of  John  Mann,  who  became 
a  useful  preacher  and  supplied  the  pulpit  at  John  Street 
during  the  Revolutionary  War,  when  the  English  preach- 
ers had  either  returned  home  or  gone  into  retirement. 
He  also  became  one  of  the  founders  of  Methodism  in 
Nova  Scotia,  and  died  there  in  the  peace  of  the  Gospel 
after  nearly  half  a  century  of  faithful  service."  * 

After  five  months  Boardman  and  Pilmoor  exchanged, 
and  the  two  seem  to  have  alternated  between  the  two 
cities  three  times  a  year,  in  the  spring,  summer,  and 
autumn,  the  winter  term  being  five  montlis.f  In  the 
spring  of  17V0  Pilmoor  wrote  from  New  York  to  Wes- 
ley and  the  Conference:  "Our  coming  to  America  has 
not  been  in  vain."  "  Our  congregations  are  large,  and 
we  have  the  pious  of  most  congregations  to  hear  us. 
The  religion  of  Jesus  is  a  favorite  topic  in  New  York. 
Many  of  the  gay  and  polite  speak  much  about  grace 
and  perseverance."  "  The  society  here  consists  of 
about  a  hundred  members,  besides  probationers."  J 

In   April,   1771,    Boardman   wrote   to  Wesley:    "It 

*  Arminian  Magazine,  1818,  p.  641;  Stevens's  Hisiory  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  vol.  i,  p.  104.  f  Ibid.,  vol.  i,  p.  104. 

I  Arminian  Magazine,  1784,  p.  223;  Stevens's  History  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  vol.  i,  p.  106. 


54    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

pleases  God  to  carry  on  his  work  among  us.  Within 
this  month  we  have  had  a  great  awakening  here." 
"  We  have  had  nearly  thirty  added  to  the  society,  live 
of  whom  received  a  clear  sense  of  the  pardoning  love 
of  God."  He  speaks  with  especial  interest  of  the  work 
am(mo:  the  Neejroes."  * 

The  English  Conference  of  1771  met  at  Bristol  in 
the  earh^  part  of  August.  The  attention  of  Mr.  Wes- 
ley and  that  of  the  preachers  generally  was  no  doubt 
occupied  principally  with  the  Calvinistic  controversy, 
then  in  progress.  He  says:  "  We  had  more  preachers 
than  usual  at  the  Conference,  in  consequence  of  Mr. 
Shirley's  circular  letter.  At  ten  on  Thursday  morning 
he  came,  with  nine  or  ten  of  his  friends.  We  conversed 
freely  for  about  two  hours  ;  and  I  believe  they  were 
satisfied  that  we  were  not  so  '  dreadful  heretics'  as  they 
imagined,  but  were  tolerably  sound  in  the  faith."  f 

But  something  else  took  place  at  that  Conference, 
wliich  he  does  not  notice  in  his  Journal,  but  which  was 
of  more  importance  to  the  Church  and  the  world,  and 
especially  to  Methodism  in  America,  than  any  discussion 
of  free-will  and  foreknowledge.  "  Our  brethren  in 
America  call  aloud  for  help,"  said  Mr.  Wesley.  "  Who 
are  willing  to  go  over  and  help  them  ? "  Five  volun- 
teered, and  two  were  appointed.  Some  of  the  three 
who,  being  called,  were  not  chosen  might  have  been 
useful  in  the  New  World;  but  surely  God's  foreknowl- 
edge directed  the  election  of  one  of  the  two  that  were 
sent.  I  He  was  to  do  more  in  molding  the  character 
and  shaping  the  economy  of  American  Methodism  than 

*  Arminian  Magazine,  1785.  p.  113;  Stevens's  History  of  the  Mdlwdist 
Episcopal  Church,  vol.  i,  p.  Iii4.         f  "Wesley's  Journal,  vol.  ii,  p.  357. 

X  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  Mr.  Wesley,  like  his  great  Master, 
sent  out  his  evangelists  in  couples:  Boardman  and  Pilmoor,  Ashury 
and  Wriglit,  Rankin  and  Shadford,  Dempster  and  Rodda,  Whatcoat 
and  Vasey. 


The  Reapers  Begin  their  Rounds.  55 

any  other  human  instrument.  Under  any  other  direction 
it  is  not  likely  that  it  would  have  been  exactly  what 
it  is,  and  it  would  be  hardly  safe  to  say  that  any  other 
liand  could  have  led  it  to  greater  success.  In  the  view 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States, 
Francis  Asbury  must  always  stand  next  to  John  AVesley 
as  an  object  of  reverence  and  gratitude.  Dr.  Coke  was 
a  very  appropriate  messenger  to  bear  across  the  sea  the 
authority  with  which  Mr.  Wesley  thought  ]M-oper  to  en- 
dow his  representatives  in  this  country;  but  neither  he 
nor  any  of  the  men  that  were  here  could  have  used  that 
authority  and  performed  the  lal)or  it  involved  as  wisely 
and  faithfully  as  the  farmer's  boy  of  Staffordshire. 

Asbury  was  the  only  son  of  an  intelligent  peasant  of 
the  parish  of  Handsworth,  Staffordshire,  a  man  of  re- 
markable honesty  and  industry,  having  all  things  need- 
ful, and  who  might  have  been  wealthy  had  he  been  as 
saving  as  he  was  laborious.  The  death  of  an  only  daugh- 
ter led  the  mother  to  a  religious  life  and  a  passionate 
love  of  books.  She  trained  her  only  remaining  child 
with  religious  care.  He  never  "  dared  an  oath  or  haz- 
arded a  lie."  He  was  early  sent  to  school,  and  at  seven 
years  of  age  could  read  the  Bible,  and  "greatly  delighted 
in  its  historical  parts ; "  but  his  school-master,  by  his 
severity,  made  school  repulsive  to  him.  He  lived  some 
time  in  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  ungodly  families 
in  the  parish,  and  there  became  vain,  but  not  openly 
wicked.  He  afterward,  when  thirteen  and  a  half  years 
of  age,  went  to  learn  a  business,  at  which  he  spent  six 
and  a  half  years.  A  pious  man,  not  a  Methodist,  came 
into  the  neighborhood,  and  was  invited  to  the  house 
by  his  mother.  Through  his  conversation  and  prayers 
Francis  was  awakened  before  he  was  fourteen  years  old, 
and  began  to  pray.  Hearing  of  the  Methodists,  he  asked 
his  mother  who  and  what  they  were.  She  gave  a  favor- 
5 


56    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

able  account  of  tliem,  and  directed  liira  to  a  person  who 
could  take  liim  to  hear  them.  lie  was  delighted  with 
their  singing,  and  surprised  to  hear  sermons  without 
notes  and  wonderful  prayers  without  a  pi-a^^er-book. 
While  praying  in  his  father's  barn  he  obtained  pardon. 
He  soon  began  to  hold  meetings  at  his  father's  house, 
exhorting  the  people  there  and  elsewhere.  He  was  less 
than  eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  became  a  local 
preacher,  and  for  nearly  five  years  he  continued  to  labor 
in  the  neighborhood,  preaching  sometimes  five  sermons 
a  week,  until,  when  about  twenty-one,  he  went  out  as 
an  itinerant  to  supply  the  place  of  an  absent  preacher. 

Asbury  was  about  twenty-six  years  of  age  when  ap- 
pointed to  America,  and  had  spent  about  five  years  in 
hard  service  on  Bedfordshire,  Colchester,  and  Wiltshii-e 
Circuits.  Though  studious  and  thoughtful,  and  some- 
what inclined  to  melancholy,  his  temperament  was  one 
of  those  which  can  only  find  rest  in  labor.  He  was  a 
rigid  disciplinarian,  a  man  of  few  Avords,  and  those  to 
the  point;  of  wonderful  insight  into  character;  of  a 
sobriety,  not  to  say  severity,  of  spirit  which  might 
have  been  repulsive  had  it  not  been  softened  by  a  deep 
religious  humility.  He  seemed  to  know  no  fear,  never 
yielded  to  discouragement,  and  never  lost  his  self-pos- 
session. The  rigid  discipline  which  he  would  impose 
on  others  he  exemplified  in  himself,  so  that  his  asso- 
ciates accepted  it  as  a  challenge  of  heroic  emulation. 
He  was  somewhat  attentive  to  his  apparel,  and  always 
maintained  an  easy  dignity  of  manner.  In  his  most 
familiar  portrait  he  has  the  aspect  of  a  war-worn  mili- 
tary veteran;  but  in  earlier  life  his  frame  was  robust, 
his  c-ountenance  full,  fresh,  and  expressive  of  generous, 
if  not  refined,  feelings.  Six  months  befoi-e  the  Confer- 
ence session  of  1771  he  had  been  impressed  with  the 
thought  that  America  was  to  be  his  field  of  labor,  and 


The  Reapers  Begix  their  Rouxds.  57 

when  Wesley  asked  for  volunteers  he  was  ready  to  re- 
spond, "  Here  am  I,  send  me."  *  Though  not  eminent 
as  a  preacher,  lie  excelled  in  prayer  and  singing.  His 
favorite  hymn  was  that  beginning, 

"  Still  out  of  the  deepest  abyss,"  etc., 

which  he  was  accustomed  to  sing  to  the  tune  called 
"  Light  Street."  "  He  used  to  say  that  he  had  raised  up 
many  a  son  in  the  Gospel  M'ho  could  outpreach  him, 
but  never  one  who  could  outsing  him.  He  might  have 
added,  never  one  who  could  out[)ray  him."f 

Richard  Wright,  his  companion,  had  traveled  but 
one  year.  We  know  little  of  his  history.  He  spent 
most  of  his  time  in  Maryland  and  Virginia,  and  a  part 
of  it,  in  the  spring  of  1772,  in  New  York.  In  1774  he 
returned  to  England,  and  after  three  years  his  name 
disappears  from  the  Minutes. 

After  the  Conference  closed  Asbury  went  to  take 
leave  of  his  friends.  He  was  the  only  child  of  his  par- 
ents, yet,  he  says,  "  they  consented  to  let  me  go.  My 
motlier  is  one  of  the  tenderest  parents  in  the  world; 
but  I  believe  she  was  blessed"  "with  divine  assistance 
to  part  with  me."  He  never  saw  her  again.  Some  others 
of  the  preachers  wlio  came  to  America  crossed  and  re- 
crossed  the  ocean;  Asbury  never  did.  But  as  long  as 
she  lived  his  mother  received  from  him  such  remit- 
tances as  he  could  send;  and  to  contribute  thus  to  her 
comfort  was  one  motive  for  his  persistent  celibacy. 

He  arrived  at  Bristol  to  embark  without  a  penny  for 
his  expenses.  But  the  Lord  soon  opened  the  hearts  of 
friends,  who  supplied  him  with  clothes  and  ten  pounds. 
He  "had  but  two  blankets  for  his  bed,  and  slept  with 
them  on  the  hard  boards  during  the  voj^age." 

*  Condensed  from  Stevens's  JILstory  of  the  Meihodist  Episcopal  Church, 
vol.  i,  pp.  111-117.  f  Lednum,  p.  311. 


58    A  HiSTOKY  OF  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

The  ship  sailed  on  tlie  2(1  of  September,  and  on  Oc- 
tober 27  they  Landed  at  Philadelphia.  On  November 
7  Asbury  started  for  New  York,  preaching  on  the  way 
in  New  Jersey  and  Staten  Island,  and  reaching  the  city 
on  the  12th.  Boardman  welcomed  hira,  and  the  next 
day  he  began  his  ministry  with  a  sermon  on  the  text, 
"  For  I  determined  not  to  know  any  thing  among  you, 
save  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified."  He  had  freedom, 
and  says:  "I  approved  much  of  the  spirit  of  the  peo- 
ple; they  were  loving  and  serious;  there  appeared  also 
in  some  a  love  of  discipline."  The  next  day  he  preached 
again,  and  says:  "  My  heart  is  truly  enlarged,  and  I  know 
the  life  and  power  of  religion  is  here."  Again  he  says: 
"  I  feel  a  regard  for  the  people,  and  I  think  the  Ameri- 
cans are  more  ready  to  receive  the  word  than  the  Englih>h; 
and  to  see  the  poor  Negroes  so  affected  is  pleasing ;  to 
see  their  sable  countenances  in  our  solemn  assemblies,  and 
to  hear  them  sing  Avith  cheerful  melody  their  Redeemer's 
praise,  affected  me  much,  and  made  me  ready  to  sa}^,  '  Of 
a  truth,  I  perceive  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons.'  " 

One  thing,  however,  dissatisfied  him.  Boardman  and 
Pilmoor  had  confined  themselves  mostly  to  the  cities 
of  Philadelphia  and  New  York.  "  I  am  fixed,"  he  says, 
"  to  the  Methodist  plan."  From  reading  wliat  he  has  re- 
corded in  his  Journal,  and  comparing  it  with  other  facts, 
it  seems  likely  that  unless  Asbury,  or  a  man  of  similar 
views  and  spirit,  had  been  sent  here  Methodism  in 
America  would  have  differed  far  more  than  it  has  done 
from  the  original  Wesleyan  model.  In  doctrine  and 
some  other  respects  it  might  have  followed  in  the 
primitive  path;  but  its  ministry  would  have  been  not 
as  truly  itinerant  as  it  has  been. 

Asbury  pushed  out  into  Westchester  County,  visiting 
West  Farms,  West  Chester,  East  Chester,  New  Ro- 
chelle,  Mamaroneck,  Rye,  etc.,  and  laying  the  founda- 


The  Reapers  Begin  their  Rounds.  59 

tions  there  for  future  laborers  to  build  upon.  But  we 
cannot  follow  him  in  his  work  outside  of  the  city. 
After  spending  a  little  more  than  a  month  in  the  coun- 
try he  returned  to  the  city,  and,  though  not  well,  finding 
Pilmoor  ill,  he  "preached  in  the  morning  "  of  the  Lord's 
day  "  and  found  life."  On  Monday,  January  11,  1772, 
he  "  went  to  the  jail  and  visited  a  condemned  criminal, 
and  preached  to  him  and  others  with  some  tender  feel- 
ings."    Early  in  March  he  set  out  for  Philadelphia.* 

In  July,  1772,  under  Boardman's  direction  he  re- 
turned to  New  York,  and  expresses  dissatisfaction  with 
Mr.  Wright's  management.  "  He  has  been  pretty  strict 
in  the  society,  but  ended  all  with  a  general  love-feast;  f 
which,  r  think,  is  undoing  all  he  has  done."  "The 
congregations,"  he  says,  "  are  steady,"  but  he  complains 
of  the  prevalence  of  "a  party  si)irit."  On  Septem- 
ber 6  he  held  "  a  meeting  for  the  better  ordering 
of  the  spiritual  and  temporal  affairs  of  the  society.  In 
this  meeting,  he  says,  "I  propounded  the  following 
queries: 

"1.  How  often  shall  there  be  public  preaching? 
Agreed  that  it  sliould  be  on  Tuesday,  Thursday,  and 
Friday  nights,  besides  the  Lord's  day;  an  exhortation 
on  Saturday  night. 

"  2,  Shall  we  have  morning  preaching  ?  J  This  was 
agreed  to. 

"  3.  Shall  we  have  the  society  meetings  private  ? 
This  was  doubted  by  some;  but  I  insisted  on  it,  from 
our  rules  and  Mr.  Wesley's  last  letter. 

"  4.  Shall  we  make  a  weekly  and  quarterly  collec- 
tion ?    Agreed. 

"5.  Can   any   other  means  be   devised  to  lessen   the 

*TI)e  dates  in  Asbury's  Journal  are  many  of  them  erroneous, 
and  it  is  often  difficult  to  ascertain  his  movements. 

t  Witli  open  doors  proljably.  J  Probably  at  five  o'cloclc. 


GO    A  History  of  Methodism  ix  Neav  York  City. 

debt?     The  debt  was  £1,100,  but  no  other  means  coukl 
be  found  to  relieve  it. 

"  6.  Ought  we  not  to  be  more  strict  with  disorderly 
persons  ?     Very  little  was  said  in  answer  to  this. 

"  7.  Shall  we  have  three  stewards  for  the  satisfaction 
of  the  society  ?     The  majority  voted  against  it. 

"  8.  Are  we  as  frugal  as  we  can  be  ?  It  was 
thought  we  were. 

"  9.  Will  the  stewards  meet  me  once  a  week  ? 
Agreed. 

"  10.  Do  we  endeavor  to  avoid  all  partiality  in  the 
things  of  God  ? 

"11.  Can  we  come  at  the  balance  of  our  accounts 
now  or  soon?     It  was  thought  we  could. 

"  12.  Who  will  stand  at  the  door  ?  *    Not  determined. 

"13.  Shall  we  meet  the  society  on  Sunday  nights? 
This  was  opposed  by  some.  But  I  insisted  upon  its 
being  the  best  time,  and  at  last  it  was  agreed  to  for  a 
season. 

'•  14.  Who  shall  be  the  collectors  ?  This  was  not  de- 
termined, though  debated. 

"15.   Can  the  preacher  meet  the   children?     Agreed. 

"  16.  Can  we  spread  the  books  ?  There  was  but  little 
said  on  this  head,  and  it  Avas  left  undetermined.'' 

A  few  days  after  Asbury  "  met  the  people,  to  discuss 
with  them  about  their  temporal  matters,  and  appointed 
Mr.  C.  (Chave)  to  take  an  account  of  the  weekly  and 
quarterly  collections.  But  the  two  other  steAvards  refused 
an  exact  entry  of  the  money  that  is  not  settled.  How- 
ever, the  people  i7iustha\e  the  same  satisfaction  concern- 
ing the  other  collections."  lie  was  determined  to  have 
Methodist  discipline  carried  out.  The  effect,  financially, 
at  least,  seems  to  have  been  good.  The  collections  for 
about  five  months  preceding  were  about  seventy-three 
*  At  love-fc:isls,  etc. 


The  Reapers  Begix  theik  Rounds.  61 

])0uir1.s.  For  that  same  period  immediately  after  tliey 
Avere  eighty-seven  pounds,  and  in  the  five  montlis  next 
succeeding  they  were  one  hundred  and  sixteen  pounds. 
Even  good  men  will  sometimes  differ  in  opinion  and 
get  heated  in  controversy.  Tliis  was  the  case  with 
Paul  and  Barnabas  :  "And  the  contention  was  so  sharp 
between  them  that  they  departed  asunder  one  from  the 
other."  On  Friday,  October  9,  Asbury  writes  in  his 
Journal  :  "  I  met  the  leaders,  and  there  were  some  sharp 
debates.  After  much  had  been  said,  I  was  charged  with 
using  Mr.  N.  (Newton)  ill  in  saying  he  opposed  my 
meeting  the  society.  Mr.  L.  (Lupton)  told  me  I  had 
already  preached  the  people  away,  and  intimated  that 
the  whole  work  would  be  destroyed  by  me.  Perhaps 
this  was  because  I  spoke  so  freely  to  Mi-.  N.  (Newton) 
and  desired  him  to  take  care  what  company  he  kept." 
But  the  very  next  day  he  says:  "I  received  a  letter 
from  Mr.  AVesle}',  in  which  he  requiz-ed  a  strict  atten- 
tion to  discipline,  and  appointed  me  to  act  as  assistant" 
— in  other  words,  superintendent  of  the  American  soci- 
eties. "Wesley  was  evidently  discovering  that  the  young 
Asbury,  then  only  about  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  was 
better  qualified  for  the  care  of  the  churches  tlian  Board- 
man,  who  was  some  seven  years  older.  Boardman, 
howevei",  seems  to  have  yielded  gracefully.  They 
met  at  Princeton  not  long  after,  and  Asbury  writes  : 
"  We  both  agreed  in  judgment  about  the  affairs  of  the 
society,  and  were  comforted  together,"  *  On  Lord's 
day,  October  18,  he  preached  in  New  York  twice  and 
held  a  love-feast.  "Many,"  lie  f^ajs,  "spoke  freely, 
but  not  long.  This  I  have  observed  more  here  tlian 
in  England,  that  the  jieople  speak  short,  and  yet  very 
full."  The  next  day  he  took  the  stage  for  Phila- 
delphia. 

*Asbury's  Journal,  Monday,  October  ]9,  1T72. 


62    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City, 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

MORE    LABORERS    AND    MORE    THOROUGH     ORGAN- 
IZATION. 

And  now  more  help  was  on  the  way.  Captain  Webb, 
revisiting  England  in  1772,  appealed  to  Wesley  and  the 
Conference  for  more  missionaries.  Such  was  his  zoal 
that  Charles  Wesley  regarded  him  with  surprise, 
and  pronounced  him  fanatical.  He  demanded  two  of 
the  ablest  men  of  the  British  Conference,  Christopher 
Hopper  and  Joseph  Benson.*  Charles  \Yesley  opposed 
the  demand,  but  the  captain  went  to  the  Conference 
at  Leeds  and  there  addressed  the  preachers  with  an 
eloquence  that  kindled  their  enthusiasm.  George  Shad- 
ford  heard  him,  and  says:  "I  felt  my  spirit  stirred 
within  me  to  go.  When  I  considered  that  we  had  in 
England  many  men  of  grace  and  gifts  far  superior  to 
mine,  but  few  seemed  to  offer  themselves  willingly,  I 
saw  my  call  tlie  more  clearly.  Accordingly  Mr,  Rankin 
and  I  offered  ourselves." 

Thomas  Rankin  was  a  native  of  Dunbar,  Scotland; 
he  was  trained  in  religious  habits,  and  early  resolved  to 
become  a  minister  of  the  Gospel.  For  a  time  worldly 
amusements  took  the  place  of  serious  subjects,  though 
lie  never  became  openly  immoral.  Some  converted 
soldiers  came  to  Dunbar,  and  from  them  he  gained  his 
first  acquaintance  with  Methodism.  Sermons  from 
Whitefield  deepened  the  impression  and  led  to  his  con- 
version. He  was  soon  employed  as  a  local  preacher, 
and  Wesley  called  him  into  the  itinerancy  in  1761.     He 

*  Stevens's  History  of  the  Mdhodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  i,  p.  141. 


Moke  Laborers,  Thorough  Organization.     63 

labored  with  great  success  in  various  circuits  until  he 
was  appointed  as  general  superintendent  of  the  work 
in  America. 

Shadford  was  a  native  of  Lincolnshire.  His  parents, 
though  strangers  to  experimental  religion,  tried  to  train 
him  up  aright,  but  he  fell  into  vicious  habits  and  en- 
listed in  the  militia.  Impressive  sei*mons  and  the  death 
of  acquaintances  aroused  serious  thoughts  from  time 
to  time,  but  it  was  not  until  May,  1762,  that  he  was 
melted  and  subdued.  He  joined  the  society,  soon  began 
to  exhort  and  preach,  and  in  1768  received  an  appoint- 
ment from  the  Conference.  He  labored  successfully  in 
Cornwall,  Kent,  and  Norwich,  and,  as  above  stated,  at 
the  Leeds  Conference  he  offered  himself  for  America.* 
On  Good  Friday,  April  9,  1773,  with  Joseph  Yearbry 
(another  preacher)  he  embarked  at  Bristol.  Captain 
Webb  and  his  wife  accompanied  them,  the  captain 
pi'oviding  for  all  the  expenses  of  their  voyage.  On 
the  3d  of  June  they  reached  Philadelphia,  to  Asbury's 
"great  comfort."  The  removal  of  the  burden  of  the 
superintendency  was  a  relief  to  him.  He  says:  "Mr. 
R.  [Rankin]  preached  a  good  sermon  on  these  words: 
'  I  have  set  before  thee  an  open  door,  and  no  man  can 
shut  it.'  f  He  will  not  be  admired  as  a  preacher,  but  as 
a  disciplinarian  he  will  fill  his  place." 

On  Saturday,  June  12,  Asbury  and  Rankin  arrived 
in  New  York,  where  friends  met  them  on  the  dock. 
The  next  day  Asbury  preached  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  to  a  considerable  number  of  people.  His  text 
was  appropriate.  "Behold,  Boaz  came  from  Bethle- 
hem, and  said  unto  the  reapers.  The  Lord  be  with  you. 
And  they  answered  him.  The  Lord  bless  thee."     Ruth 

*Wesley^s  Missionaries  to  America,  p.  244. 

fHnd  he  continued  firm  in  this  failh  perliaps  he  would  not  have 
left  the  work  in  this  country  as  he  did. 


64    A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  Yokk  City. 

ii,  4.  During  the  service  Rankin  was  for  a  time 
anxious,  if  not  depressed,  reflecting  on  his  motives 
in  coming.  But,  he  says,  "  I  could  appeal  to  God 
with  the  utmost  sincerity  of  heart ;  I  had  only 
one  thing  in  view,  his  glory,  the  salvation  of  souls, 
connected  with  my  own.  In  a  moment  the  cloud 
broke  and  the  power  of  God  rested  on  my  soul,  and  all 
gloom  fled  away,  as  morning  shades  before  the  rising 
sun.  I  had  then  faith  to  believe  that  I  should  see  his 
glory,  as  1  had  seen  it  in  the  sanctuary."  *  In  the 
evening  Rankin  preached,  and,  Asbury  says,  "dispensed 
the  word  of  truth  witli  power."  On  the  23d  Asbury 
returned  to  New  York  from  a  trip  to  Westchester 
County.  He  says  :  "  I  found  Mr.  Rankin  had  been 
well  employed  in  settling  matters  pertaining  to  the 
Society.  This  afforded  me  great  satisfaction,  and  more 
especially  the  revival  of  religion  which  has  lately  taken 
place  in  this  city." 

But  the  troubled  waters  had  not  been  completely 
stilled.  On  Friday,  the  9th  of  July,  Asbury  writes  in 
his  Journal :  "  After  intercession  I  went  to  see  Mr.  L. 
[Lupton].  Mr.  S.  [Sause],  Mr.  W.  [White],  and  my- 
self were  charged  with  winking  at  the  follies  of  some. 
We  had  a  little  debate  on  the  subject,  and  Mr.  L.  was 
pleased  to  say,  'he  did  not  know  but  the  church  door 
wouUl  be  shut  against  me;'  and  that  'some  persons 
would  not  suffer  matters  to  go  on  so.'  He  moreover 
told  me  '  the  preachers'  gifts  were  taken  away.'  f  On 
the  following  evening,  however,  Asbury  had  a  comfort- 
able time  in  meeting  the  leaders  and  band  society,  and 
preached  twice  the  next  day  'with  great  plainness  to  a 

*  Stevens's  History  of  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.,  vol.  i,  p.  158. 

f  Paul  and  Barnabas  were  yet  sharply  contending.  It  is  not  pleas- 
ant to  record  these  things,  but  an  honest  history  must  tell  the  whole 
truth. 


More  Laborers,  Thorough  Organization.      65 

large  number  of  people.'  Perhaps  he  notes  the  size  of 
his  congregations  as  evidence  that  he  had  not  '  preached 
the  people  away.'  " 

Thomas  Rankin  was  jirobably  instructed  by  Mr. 
Wesley  to  call  the  preachers  together  for  a  general 
conference,  and  accordingly  we  find  Asbuiy  proceeded 
to  Philadelphia,  where,  on  Wednesday,  July  14,  the 
session  of  the  first  Conference  in  America  began.*  The 
authority  of  Mr.  Wesley  was  acknowledged,  the  doc- 
trine and  discipline  as  contained  in  the  English  Minutes 
to  be  accepted,  the  ordinances  of  baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper  not  to  be  administered,  but  received  at 
the  hands  of  tl>e  clergy  of  the  Established  Church  ;  the 
love-feasts  and  society  meetings  to  be  select ;  none  of 
Mr.  Wesley's  books  to  be  reprinted  without  consent,  and 
reports  to  be  made  by  the  preachers  once  in  six  months 
to  the  general  assistant.  New  York  reported  one  hundred 
and  eighty  members,  and  Thomas  Rankin  was  appointed 
there  "  to  change  in  four  months"  with  George  Shadford, 
who  was  appointed  to  Philadelpliia  for  the  same  period. 
In  his  Journal  of  July  16  Asbury  says:  "  I  understand 
that  some  dissatisfied  persons  in  New  York  tlireaten  to 
shut  the  church  door  against  Mr.  R.  [Rankin].  If  they 
should  be  bold  enough  to  take  this  step,  we  shall  see 
what  the  consequences  will  be."  Rankin  seems  to  have 
been  regarded  by  some  of  the  New  York  society  in  the 
same  light  as  Asbury. 

On  Sunday,  August  29, f  Rankin  writes:  "I  preached 
at  the  usual  hours,  morning  and  evening,  and  after- 
ward met  the  society.     In  some  good  degree  this  has 

*The  printed  Minutes  say  June.  1773,  but  this  is  evidently  an  error, 
if  Asbury's  Journal  is  to  be  relied  on.  And  see  Stevens's  History  of 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  i,  p.  160. 

f  Not  July  29,  as  Dr.  Stevens  reads  it,  inconsistently  with  his  note, 
vol.  i,  p.  160.     See  Wesley's  Missionaries  to  America,  p.  223. 


66    A  HisTOKY  OF  Methodism  k^  New  Yoek  City. 

been  a  Sabbath  of  rest  to  my  soul  !  I  was  assisted 
by  the  labors  of  Pilmoor  the  ensuing  week,  having  re- 
turned from  a  journey  in  the  country.  He  preached 
with  more  life  and  divine  power  this  week  than  he  has 
done  since  I  landed  at  Philadelphia.  Blessed  be  God 
that  he  is  returning  to  the  simplicity  of  spirit  that  made 
him  so  useful  when  he  first  came  over  to  America." 
Boardraan  came  to  his  aid  in  October.  In  the  same 
month  Rankin  went  to  Philadelphia  and  Shadford  came 
to  Xew  York. 

Shadford  was  modest  even  to  diffidence,  and  entered 
New  York  with  painful  self-distrust.  He  says:  "My 
next  remove  was  to  New  York,  where  I  spent  four 
months  with  great  satisfaction.  I  went  thither  with  fear 
and  trembling,  and  was  much  cast  down  from  a  sense 
of  my  own  unworthiness  and  inability  to  preach  the 
Gospel  to  a  polite  and  sensible  people.  But  the  Lord 
condescended  to  make  use  of  his  poor  weak  servant 
for  the  revival  of  religion  at  that  city.  I  added 
fifty  members  in  those  four  months,"  "and  several 
backsliders  were  restored  to  their  first  love."  "  I 
left  in  New  York  two  hundred  and  four  members  in 
society."  * 

We  have  seen  that  Boardman  and  Pilmoor  both  as- 
sisted for  a  season  in  the  work  in  New  York.  Their 
names  do  not  appear  in  the  list  of  appointments,  and  it 
is  supposed  that  they  labored  at  their  own  discretion. 
Not  sympathizing  with  the  American  people  in  their 
growing  resistance  to  the  British  government,  they 
were  probably,  at  the  time  of  the  session  of  the  Con- 
ference, meditating  a  return  to  England,  and  therefore 
preferred  to  be  left  at  libei-ty.  On  Sunday,  December 
26,  1773,  Pilmoor  preached  his  farewell  sermon  in 
Philadelphia,  and  the  next  day  set  off  for  New  York, 
*  Experiences  of  Several  Methodist  Preachers,  p.  343. 


More  Laborers,  Thorough  Organization.     67 

from  whence  he  and  Boardman  sailed  for  England  Jan- 
uary 2,  1774.* 

In  March,  1774,  Rankin  returned  to  New  York.  On 
the  6th,  he  writes:  "The  congregations  were  large,  and 
the  presence  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  was  in  our 
midst."  "I  observed  that  the  labors  of  my  fellow-la- 
borer, Mr,  Shadford,  have  not  been  in  vain.  The  spirit 
of  love  seems  to  increase  among  the  people.  Sunday, 
May  22,  I  found  freedom  to  declare  the  word  of  the 
Loid."     "  We   concluded  the   evening  with   a  general 

*Boardraan  continued  in  tlio  itinerancy  and  died  at  Cork,  Ireland, 
after  a  brief  illness  in  1782.  Pilmoor's  name  is  found  in  the  list  of 
appointments  in  England,  with  little  intermission,  until  1785,  when 
it  disappears  without  explanation.  It  is  said  he  was  not  pleased 
with  Mr.  Wesley  for  leaving  his  name  out  of  the  list  of  the  legal 
hundred,  and  therefore  withdrew.  Returning  to  America,  he  took 
orders  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  and  labored  for  a  time  in 
Philadelphia.  About  1791  some  members  of  Trinity  Church,  New 
York,  petitioned  that  he  be  appointed  assistant  minister  in  that  parish. 
The  request  being  refused,  his  friends  organized  Christ  Church,  where 
he  labored  until  1805,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Thomas 
Lyell,  who  had  also  been  a  Methodist  preacher.  The  congregation 
built  in  Ann  Street,  but  in  1823  they  removed  to  Anthony  (now 
Worth)  Street,  between  Broadway  and  Churcli  Street.  They  now 
worship  at  the  corner  of  Fifth  Avenue  and  Thirty-fifth  Street 

Pihnoor  went  from  New  York  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  was  rector 
of  St.  Paul's  Church.  Asbury,  writing  in  Wilmington,  Del.,  April  2, 
1814,  says:  "Joseph  Pilmoor  is  yet  alive,  and  preaches  three  times 
every  Sabbath."  He  outgrew  his  resentment  against  Wesley,  and 
never  lost  his  original  affection  for  his  Metliodist  brethren.  Dr.  N. 
Bangs  says  that  at  the  first  Conference  he  attended  in  the  old  John 
Street  Church,  in  1804,  a  tah.  dignified  old  gentleman  came  in  and 
walked  to  the  altar  where  Bishop  Asbury  was  sitting.  The  bishop 
arose  and  shook  his  hand,  and  introduced  him  to  the  Conference,  say- 
ing: "This  is  Brother  Pilmoor,  who  used  to  preach  in  this  pulpit 
under  the  direction  of  Mr.  John  Wesley."  Mr.  Pilmoor  bowed  re- 
spectfully, paid  his  annual  subscrip'ion  to  the  preacher's  fund,  and, 
after  a  while,  withdrew. f  He  lived  to  a  good  old  age  and  died  greatly 
venerated. 

tWakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  317, 


68    A  HiSTOKY  OF  Mkthodism  in  New  York  City. 

love-feast,  in  Avhich  the  Lord's  presence  was  powerfully 
felt  Ijy  many  persons."  "  Some  of  the  poor  black  peo- 
ple spoke  with  power  and  pungency  of  the  loving-kind- 
ness of  the  Lord."  * 

In  view  of  the  time  of  their  departure,  it  is  evident 
that  to  the  latter  part  of  1773  we  are  to  assign  the  date 
of  the  following  minute,  found  in  the  "  Old  Book." 
Why  it  is  left  with  the  blanks  in  it  cannot  be  ex- 
plained: 

At  a  Meeting  of  the  Trustees  of  the  two  Lots  of  ground  and  the 

Methodist  Meeting-house  tliereou  erected,  Situate  in  the  City  of  New 

York,  now  resident  in  the  said  City,  held  in  the  said  Meeting-liouse 

tliis  day  of  in  tlie  year  of  our  Lord  One  thousand 

seven  hundred  and  seventy -three.  ,  Tr^-n-       t      *. 

•'  .        I  \V  illiam  Lupton, 

Present,  -j  james  Jarvis, 
'  Henry  Newton. 

Whereas,  Richard  Boardman,  Joseph  Pilmoor,  Thomas  "Webb, 
and  John  Soutliwell  are,  togetlier  with  us.  the  said  Wilhara  Lupton, 
James  Jarvis,  and  Henry  Newton,  named  Grantees  and  Trustees 
of  the  said  two  Lots  of  ground  and  Meeting-house,  as  in  [and]  by  a 
certain  Indenture  of  Release  bearing  date  the  second  day  of  Novem- 
ber, m  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy, 
ma'de  and  executed  liy  Joseph  Forbcs  unto  them  and  us,  as  will  fully 
appear.  And  whereas  the  said  Richard  Boardman,  Joseph  Pilmoor, 
Thomas  Webb,  and  John  Southwell  hnve  departed  from  and  do  reside 
out  of  the  Province  of  New  York,  bj-  means  whereof  they  are  become 
incapable  of  Executing  the  Trust  so  as  aforesaid  reposed  in  them: 
Now  WE,  the  said  William  Lupton,  James  Jarvis,  and  Henry  New- 
ton, in  order  to  have  the  full  Number  of  Trustees  for  the  said  two  Lots 
of  Ground  and  Meetiug-House,  according  to  the  Tenor  of  the  said  re- 
lease, Do  herebj'  choose  John  Mann,  John  Staples,  Samuel  Selb}',  and 
David  Johnson  to  be  Trustees  of  and  for  the  said  two  Lots  of  ground 
and  Meeting-house,  in  the  Room  and  stead  of  them,  the  said  Richard 
Boardman,  Joseph  Pilmoor,  .  .  .  Thomas  Webb,  and  John  South- 
welL  .  .  .  And  also  Stephen  Sands  and  William  Elseworth  to  be 
additional  Trustees  of  and  for  the  said  two  Lots  of  ground  and 
Meeting-House. 

*Stevens's  History  of  M  (liod'd  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  i,  p.  211. 


More  Laborers,  Thorough  Organization.     G9 

The  second  Conference  met  in  Philadelphia  May  25, 
1774.  Two  hundred  and  twenty-two  members  were 
reported  in  Xew  York,  and  Francis  Asbury  was  ap- 
pointed there  "  to  change  in  three  months."  From, 
his  Journal,  however,  we  find  he  remained  until  the 
last  of  October.  He  says :  "  My  old  friends  in  York 
were  glad  to  see  me.  But  I  still  fear  there  is  a  root 
of  prejudice  remaining  in  the  hearts  of  a  few."  After- 
ward he  says  :  "  How  wonderfully  is  the  language  and 
behavior  of  Mr.  L.  [Lupton]  changed  towai'd  me. 
Befoi'e  I  was  every  thing  tliat  was  bad.  But  now  all  is 
very  good.  This  is  a  mistake ;  my  doctrine  and  preach- 
ing are  the  same,  and  so  is  my  manner.  But  such  is 
the  deceitfulness  of  the  man.  His  favorite  [Mr.  Pil- 
moor  ?]  is  now  gone.  Had  I  preached  like  an  arch^ 
angel  it  would  have  been  to  no  purpose  while  I  thought 
it  my  duty  to  oppose  him."  *  Asbury  was  human,  and 
perhaps  did  not  respond  to  overtures  for  reconciliation 
as  heartily  as  he  should.  On  November  4  James 
Jarvis,  one  of  the  original  trustees  and  a  class-leader, 
died,  and  Asbury  appointed  Richard  Sause  to  the 
charge  of  his  class.  On  the  19th  of  the  same  month 
he  learned  of  the  arrival  of  James  Dempster,  who, 
with  Martin  Rodda,  had  been  sent  out  by  Mr.  Wesley. 
On  the  28th  Asbury  set  out  for  Philadelphia,  leaving 
Demjjster  in  charge  at  New  York.  James  Dempster 
was  a  Scotchman,  who  had  studied  at  the  University 
of  Edinburgh.  He  traveled  about  ten  years  in  the 
\Yesleyan  itinerancy,  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  Mr. 
Wesley.  At  the  Conference  of  1775  he  w^as  appointed 
to  New  York;  but  his  health  failed,  and  in  the  same 
year  he  retired  from  the  work.  He  afterward  joined 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  "  with  a  distinct  avowal  of 
his  adherence  to  the  Wesleyan  doctrines,  of  which  his 
*  Journal,  July  10,  1774. 


70    A  History  of  Methodism  in^  New  York  City. 

views  never  changed,"  and  was  "an  accepted  minister 
of  that  Church  as  long  as  he  lived."  He  was  settled 
as  pastor  of  a  congregation  at  Florida,  Montgomery 
County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died  in  1804.*  His  son,  Rev. 
John  Demj^ster,  D.D.,  became  an  eminent  minister  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  a  leader  in  the 
establishment  of  her  theological  seminaries.  Martin 
Rodda,  who  came  with  Dempster,  was  never  appointed 
to  New  York,  and  returned  to  England  after  three 
years. 

At  the  Conference  of  iVVo  the  report  of  members 
in  New  York  was  two  hundred,  a  des^rease  of  twenty- 
tv,'o.  James  Dempster,  as  Ave  have  seen,  was  appointed 
to  the  charge  without  any  thing  being  said  of  a  change, 
but  "Thomas  Rankin  is  to  travel  till  the  month  of 
December  and  then  take  a  quarter  in  New  York."  It  is 
probable  the  plan  was  carried  into  effect ;  but  we  have 
nothing  that  casts  any  light  on  the  state  of  things  this 
year.  It  would  seem,  however,  not  to  have  been  a  sea- 
son of  prosperity,  as  only  one  hundred  and  thirty-two 
members  are  reported  in  1776,  a  decrease  of  sixty-eight. 
The  War  of  the  Revolution  had  begun. f 

The  Conference  of  1770  was  held  at  Baltimore,  May 
21.  Daniel  Ruff  was  appointed  to  New  York,  the  first 
native  American  j^reacher  sent  to  that  charge.  He  was 
converted  in  Harford  County,  Md.,  and  soon  became 
noted  as  an  exhorter  and  local  preacher.  Asbury, 
visiting  his  neighborhood  March  4,  1774,  says  :  "  Honest, 
simple  Daniel  Raff  has  been  made  a  great  blessing  to 
these  people.     Such  is  the  M-isdom  and  power  of  God 

*  See  references  in  Stevens's  History  of  2ftlhocL.it  Episcopal  Church, 
vol.  i,  p.  264. 

f  From  May  20,  1774,  to  May  11,  1776,  the  "Old  Book"  does  not 
give  a  full  accouut  of  payments.  They  are  summed  up  in  two  en- 
tries of  "Sundries  brought  from  Journal."  The  items  of  the  receipts, 
however,  are  recorded. 


More  Laborers,  Thorough  Organization.      71 

that  he  has  wrought  marvelously  by  this  plain  man, 
that  no  flesh  may  glory  in  his  presence."  Joining  the 
Conference  in  1774,  he  was  appointed  to  Chester  Cir- 
cuit, and  in  177")  to  Trenton.  Freeborn  Garrettson  was 
converted  after  hearing  one  of  his  sermons,  and  Ruff 
first  called  him  into  the  ministry.  He  afterward  la- 
bored principally  in  New  Jersey.  In  1781  his  name 
disappears  from  the  Minutes,  It  is  said  he  located.* 
His  name  appears  for  the  last  time  in  the  "Old  Book" 
August  18,  177G.  It  is  likely  that  as  a  native  of  the 
country  he  sympathized  with  the  patriots,  and  when 
the  British  array  entered  New  York  deemed  it  prudent 
to  retire. 

*  Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  255  ;  Stevens's  History  of  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  vol.  i,  p.  206 ;  Bangs's  History  of  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  vol.  iv,  Appendix,  p.  32. 


72    A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THK    STORM  AND    THE  CLEARIXG. 

And  now  for  six  years  the  Minutes  give  no  appoint- 
ments to  New  York  city.  In  1777  the  members  are 
reported  to  be  ninety-six.  In  tlie  list  of  stations  we 
have  "New  York"  folloAved  by  a  blank,  and  in  the 
succeeding  five  years  even  the  name  disappears.  It  is 
a  mistake,  however,  to  suppose  that  Methodist  preach- 
ing was  suspended  during  that  period.  Dr.  Bangs,  in 
his  valuable  and  generally  correct  history,  says  the 
Bi'itish  troops  "  had  converted  the  meeting-house  into 
barracks  for  the  soldiers,  so  that  it  was  not  possible  to 
occupy  it  for  i)reaching  regularly,  even  had  a  j^reacher 
been  permitted  to  reside  among  them."  *  Mr.  Gabriel 
P.  Disosway  says  that  he  always  understood  that  this 
was  the  case.  The  error  can  easily  be  accounted  for. 
"  All  the  Presbyterian  churches  in  New  York  were  used 
for  militai-y  purposes.  The  Middle  Dutch  Church,  in 
Nassau  Street,  was  used  for  a  prison,  in  which  tlii'ee 
thousand  Americans  were  coniined.  The  pews  were 
consumed  for  fuel,  and  it  was  afterward  used  by  the 
British  cavalry  for  a  riding-school.  The  North  Dutch 
Church,  in  William  Street,  was  also  a  prison.  The  pews 
were  destroyed  and  two  thousand  prisoners  were  con- 
fined tliere.  The  Baptist  Church  was  converted  into  a 
horse-stable.  The  Quaker  Meeting-house  in  Pearl  Street 
was  used  as  a  hospital.  The  French  Church  was  used 
as  a  prison."  f  It  was  natural,  therefore,  to  suppose  that 
Wesley  Chapel  fared  no  better. 

*BaDgs's  History  of  Methodist  Einscnpal   Churchy  vol.  i,  p.  119. 

f  Wtikelcy's  Lo&l  Chapters,  p.  270. 


The  Storm  and  the  Clearixo.  13 

But  here  the  "  Old  Book  "  furnislies  vahiable  testi- 
mony. All  through  the  period  of  the  British  occupa- 
tion we  have  cliarges  of  payments  to  the  preacher  and 
the  sexton,  and  for  supplies  of  wood  and  candles  and 
necessary  repairs  for  the  chapel  and  preacher's  house. 
Indeed,  it  would  seem  they  made  some  improvements. 
December  4,  1778,  we  read:  "To  carpenter's  bill  for 
gallery  doors,  etc.,  £4  4s."  We  are  told  that  at  first 
there  were  no  stairs  to  the  gallery,  and  that  it  was 
reached  by  a  ladder.  It  is  likely  that  until  then  there 
were  windows  in  the  lower  story  in  front,  on  each  side 
of  the  central  door,  and  that  the  necessity  of  a  better 
entrance  led  to  their  being  changed  to  doors,  with  steps 
on  the  outside  and  additional  stairs  within.  But  the 
work,  whatever  it  was,  would  not  have  been  done  if  the 
British  troops  were  in  occupation. 

Nor  is  it  hard  to  account  for  the  favor  shown  them. 
Methodism  was  still  regarded  as  a  society  in  the  Church 
of  England.  Its  founder  had  strongly  opposed  the 
course  of  the  Americans  in  lef using  to  be  taxed,  and  his 
"  Calm  Address  to  the  American  Colonies "  was  an 
earnest  plea  for  their  submission.  The  members, 
especially  those  who  remained  in  the  city  at  that  time, 
were  very  generally  loyalists.  The  preachers  who  had 
served  them  were  known  to  be  decidedly  such,  and  it 
is  not  unlikely  that  the  association  of  Captain  Webb 
with  the  chapel,  and  perhaps  his  personal  influence  with 
army  officers,  led  to  its  protection  from  the  general 
fate.*  "  The  society  in  John  Street  enjoyed  so  much 
indulgence  as  to  occupy  their  church  for  Sunday  night 
service,  while  the  Hessians  had  it  in  the  morning  for 
their  own  chaplains  and  people."  f  As  the  Methodists 
did  not  then  hold  morning  service  during  the  usual 
church  hours,  it  is  probable  that  their  worship  was  not 
*3ee  Appendix  J.  f  Wakeley's  Lost  ChapterSy  p.  272. 


74    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

at  all  interfered  with.  Their  collections,  indeed,  seem 
to  have  increased.  They  were  much  larger  during  the 
war  than  immediately  before  and  after,  and  they  paid 
their  j^reacher  a  larger  salary.  So  many  other  churches 
being  closed,  their  congregations  were  increased,  and 
some  of  the  British  officers,  no  doubt,  attended  and  con- 
tributed liberally  to  the  funds.  But  it  is  not  to  be 
supposed  that  they  were  free  from  annoyance.  Lewd 
fellows  of  the  baser  sort,  both  in  the  army  and  of  the 
populace,  have  always  been  ready  to  disturb  a  Meth- 
odist meeting.  The  writer  remembers  hearing  in  his 
boyhood  the  incident  related  by  Mr.  G.  P.  Disosway, 
as  received  from  Hannah  Baldwin — a  blind  lady,  for 
many  years  the  leading  female  singer  in  the  John  Street 
church.  On  one  occasion  a  party  of  English  soldiers 
began  to  sing,  "  God  Save  the  King."  The  Methodists 
joined  in  the  tune,  but  with  different  words.* 


THE    SOLDIERS     WORDS: 

■  God  save  great  George,  our  king ! 
Long  live  our  noble  king; 

God  save  the  kingl 
Send  him  victorious, 
Happy  and  glorious. 
Long  to  reign  over  us ; 

God  save  the  king  ! 

0  Lord,  our  God,  arise. 
Scatter  his  enemies, 

And  make  them  fall ; 
Confound  their  politics, 
Frustrate  their  knavisli  tricks  ; 
On  him  our  hopes  we  fix ; 

God  save  us  all !  " 


THE    JIETHODISTS'    WORDS: 

"  Come,  thou  almighty  King, 
Help  us  th\'  name  to  sing, 

Help  us  to  praise: 
Father,  all-glorious. 
O'er  all  victorious. 
Come  and  reign  over  us, 
Ancient  of  days  I 

"  Jesus,  our  Lord,  arise, 
Scatter  our  enemies, 

And  make  them  fall; 
Let  thine  almighty  aid 
Our  sure  defense  be  made, 
Our  souls  on  thee  be  stayed ; 

Lord,  hear  o'.;r  call !  "  f 


*See  Stevens,  vol.  i,  p.  421. 

f  This  last  verse  is  not  in  our  present  Hymnal,  but  was  in  all  the 
books  for  about  a  century  before. 


The  Storm  and  the  Clearing.  75 

Mr.  Disosway  says  the  Methodists  sang  after  the 
soldiers  had  conchided,  but  the  author  always  under- 
stood that  they  took  up  the  tune,  singing  with  thera 
but  with  the  words  of  Charles  Wesley's  beautiful  hymn, 
as  related  above. 

"  Upon  a  Christmas  eve,  when  the  members  had  as- 
sembled to  celebrate  the  advent  of  the  world's  Re- 
deemer, a  party  of  British  officers,  masked,  marched 
into  the  house  of  God.  One,  very  properly  personify- 
ing their  master,  was  dressed  with  cloven  feet  and  a 
long  forked  tail.  The  devotions,  of  course,  soon  ceased, 
and  the  chief  devil,  proceeding  up  the  aisle,  entered  the 
altar.  As  he  was  ascending  the  stairs  of  the  pulpit  a 
gentleman  present  with  his  cane  knocked  off  his  satanic 
majesty's  mask,  Avhen  lo,  there  stood  a  well-known 
British  colonel.  He  was  immediately  seized  and  de- 
tained until  the  city  guard  was  sent  to  take  charge  of 
the  bold  offender.  The  congregation  retired  and  the 
entrances  of  the  church  were  locked  upon  the  jjrisoner 
for  additional  security.  His  companions  outside  then 
commenced  an  attack  upon  the  doors  and  windows,  but 
the  arrival  of  the  guard  put  an  end  to  these  disgrace- 
ful proceedings,  and  the  prisoner  was  delivered  into 
their  custody."  * 

*Mr.  G-.  P.  Disosway;  Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  459.  These 
incidents  could  not  liave  occurred  unless  the  churcli  was  occupied  by 
tlie  Methodists. 

Anotlier  account  of  this  incident  is  as  follows:  "  On  the  last  even- 
ing of  1777  some  of  tiie  officers  of  Howe's  army  acted  a  play'in  New 
Torii  entitled,  'Tlie  Devil  to  Pay  in  the  West  Indies.'  After  it  they 
got  drunk  and  went  reeling  and  yelling  through  the  streets.  Passing 
the  Methodist  chapel,  where  a  watch-night  was  in  progress,  they 
went  in.  Tiie  officer  that  represented  the  devil  had  a  cow's  hide 
fastened  to  his  shoulders,  with  the  horns  painted  red,  wliile  the  tail 
dragged  on  the  floor.  He  went  up  and  stood  beside  the  preaclier. 
The  preacher  stopped  and  the  women  screamed.  Two  strong  men 
laid  hold  of  him  and  walked  him  out  of  the  Iiouse,  and  if  they  did  not 


70    A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

An  entry  in  the  "Old  Book"  dated  March  17,  1779, 
may  have  reference  to  this  event.  It  reads:  "To  cash 
paid  Mayor  Serg't  for  his  attendance,  £1  46\"  On 
another  occasion,  also,  they  needed  protection,  as  ap- 
pears from  a  charge  dated  February  4,  1782:  "Paid 
sentinels  for  six  nights,  £2  8^."  After  the  war  we  find 
several  payments  at  different  times  to  constables  for 
their  services.  Within  the  recollection,  indeed,  of  many 
now  living  the  aid  of  the  police  was  needed,  especially 
in  the  evening,  and  more  especially  when  watch-night 
services  were  held.  To  disturb  a  Metiiodist  meeting 
was  rich  sport  to  the  rowdy  element  of  the  population. 

Though  the  Minutes,  as  we  have  said,  give  no  ap- 
pointments in  New  York  during  the  war,  tradition, 
corroborated  by  the  "  Old  Book,"  enables  us  to  supj)ly 
to  some  extent  the  deficiency.  John  Mann  and  Samuel 
Spraggs  served  the  Church  during  that  time.  John 
Mann  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  1743.  He 
was  awakened  by  the  truth,  and,  his  mother  being  a 
Moravian,  he  was  received  into  that  Church  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Gamble.  Under  a  sermon  by  Boardman  he 
obtained  the  knowledge  of  his  acceptance  with  God. 
He  became  a  class-leader,  an  exhorter,  and  a  local 
preacher,  and  labored  with  success  at  Bloomingdale  and 
on  Long  Island.  When  Ruff  left  the  city  he  was  de- 
sired by  the  trustees  and  leaders  to  supply  the  pulpit, 
which  he  did  until,  when  Philadelphia  was  taken  by 
the  British  troops,  Samuel  Spraggs  came  and  took 
charge,  and  Mann  henceforth  acted  as  his  assistant. 
His  name,  however,  does  not  appear  in  the  accounts. 
From  the  time  when  Daniel  Ruff"  left  until  Februarj-^  26, 
1779,  the  payments  are  made  to  or  for  "the  preacher." 

bind  him  for  a  tliousand  years,  they  put  him  under  arrest.  General 
Howe  found  it  necessary  to  coueihate  the  Metliodists,  setting  a  guard 
to  protect  them,  and  keeping  his  men  in  order." — Lednum,  p.  194. 


The  St(3rm  and  the  Clearing. 


77 


Mann  remained,  as  it  seems,  all  through  the  war,  but, 
being  a  loyalist,  left  at  its  conclusion.  He  was  there  in 
May,  1782,  but  was  gone  in  September,  1783.*  Witli 
other  members  of  the  New  York  society  of  like  political 
opinion  he  emigrated  to  Nova  Scotia,  where  Freeborn 
Garrettson  found  him,  and  makes  honorable  mention  of 
him  ill  his  letters  to  Wesley.  His  name  appears  in  the 
Minutes  of  1786,  Mdiere  we  read,  "Nova  Scotia, William 
Black,  John  Mann."  He  died  in  Newport,  Nova  Scotia, 
in  1816,  in  the  seventy-fourth  year  of  his  age.  f 

Samuel  Spraggs  was  received  on  trial  in  1774,  and  ap- 
pointed to  the  Brunswick  Circuit,  Vii-ginia.  The  two 
succeeding  years  he  was  in  Philadelphia,  an  evidence 
that  he  had  met  with  good  success.  In  1777  his  charo-e 
was  Frederick  Circuit,  Maryland.  Asbury,  in  his  Jour- 
nal (March  9,  1778),  says,  "S.  S.  [Spraggs]  came  in  from 
the  upper  circuit,  but  on  Tuesday  both  he  and  G.  S. 
[Shadford]  left  me."  He  was  probably,  like  Shadford, 
an  Englishman  and  a  loyalist,  and  may  have  contem- 
^plated  a  return  to  England  with  him,  but  on  arriving  in 
New  York,  while  Shadford  continued  his  journey  home, 
Spraggs  was  perhaps  induced  to  remain  and  supply  the 
John  Street  pul})it.  His  name  thus  naturally  disap- 
])ears  from  the  IVIinutes,  as  no  Conference  appointments 
could  be  made  for  New  York.  In  1783,  however,  when 
the  city  again  appears  in  the  list,  we  find  him  assigned 
to  the  charge,  with  John  Dickins.  Then  his  name  un- 
accountably disappears.  He  afterwaixl  became  pastor 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  in  Elizabethtown, 
N,  J.,  where  a  tablet  was  erected  to  his  memory.  He 
is  described  as  a  good  preacher,  and  highly  esteemed. 
In  an  old  volume,  containing  the  family  records  of  Mr. 

*  See  elections  of  trustees  in  "  Old  Book  "  for  May  3, 1782,  and  Sep- 
tember 16,  1783,  etc.     See  further  on  p.  78. 
f  Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  260. 


78    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

John  Staples,  one  of  the  original  trustees,  is  the  entry: 
"  Our  son,  Samuel  Spraggs,  was  born  the  10th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1781."  *  The  last  payment  to  Mr.  Spraggs  men- 
tioned in  the  "Old  Book"  is  dated  July  10,  1783,  and 
reads,  "Paid  balance  due  Mr.  Spraggs  £18  9s." 

Two  other  extracts  from  the  "  Old  Book  "  relating  to 
the  period  of  the  war  must  find  place  here.  The 
first  is: 

New  York,  May  3,  1782. 
At  a  general  meeting  of  the  trustees  for  the  Metliodist  preacliing- 
house  in  this  city  Jolui  Staples,  Stephen  Sands,  and  Philip)  Marchin- 
ton  were  unanimously  chosen  as  joint  trustees  with  us. 

"William  Luptox, 
Charles  White, 
John  Maxn, 
Richard  Sause. 

The  other  is  as  follows: 

Xew  York,  SeiH.  16,  1753. 
At  a  general  meeting  of  the  trustees  for  the  Methodist  preaching- 
house  in  this  city  Abraham  Russel  and  Peter  McClain,  Jr.,  are  ap- 
pointed as  joint  trustees  with  the  subs(rribers  iu  the  room  of  Charles 
"White  and  .John  Mann,  departed  the  city. 

[A  little  more  than  a  line  is  here  written  and  ciossed  out.] 

"William  Lupton, 
JoHX  Staples, 
Stephen  Sands. 

Philip  Marchinton  and  Richard  Sause  are  not  named 
in  this  last  document.  It  is  probable  that  they  also 
had  "  departed  the  city."  f  The  number  of  trustees, 
which  in  1782  was  seven,  is  thus  reduced  to  five. 

Though  the  name  of  New  York  re-appears  in  the  list 

*Wakeley,  p.  279,  etc. 

f  Marchinton's  name  is  found  for  the  last  time  in  the  "  Old  Book," 
on  July  1,  1783,  and  that  of  Sause  on  July  10  of  the  same  year. 
Marchinton  went  to  Nova  Scotia  {Life  of  Garrettson,  pp.  Ul  and  148), 
and  Sause  was  in  London  with  Rankin  when  Thomas  Staples  died 
there  (see  Appendix  E,  p.  426,  note). 


The  Storm  and  the  Clearing.      79 

of  appointments  in  1783,  no  report  is  given  of  the  num- 
ber in  Society.  It  no  doubt  was  much  reduced,  partly 
because  of  the  removal  of  loyalists  from  the  city.  Yet 
there  were  seasons  of  refreshing,  and  souls  were  con- 
verted. There  was,  we  are  told,  a  great  revival  in 
1779.* 

John  Dickins,  who  was  appointed  with  S.  Spraggs, 
was  born  in  the  city  of  London  in  the  year  1 746.  He 
received  a  good  education,  partly  at  Eton  School,  and 
came  to  this  country  before  the  Revolution.  He  was 
converted  in  1774,  and  admitted  on  tx-ial  at  the  Confer- 
ence of  1777.  He  traveled  extensively^  in  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina  until  1780,  after  which  his  name  disap- 
pears from  the  Minutes  without  any  explanation..  It  is 
said  he  located  (perhaps  because  of  marriage),  but  con- 
tinued to  labor  diligently.  Probably,  like  Asbury,  he 
thought  it  prudent  to  remain  secluded  for  a  season. 
On  April  5,  1783,  Asbury,  then  in  North  Carolina, 
writes  in  his  Journal:  "I  heard  the  news  that  peace 
was  confirmed  between  England  and  America."  "  This 
day  I  prevailed  on  Brother  Dickins  to  go  to  New  York, 
whei-e  I  expect  him  to  be  far  more  useful  than  in  his 
present  station."  Rankin,  when  he  left,  had  no  doubt 
intrusted  the  management  of  affairs  to  Asbury,  and 
accordingly,  at  the  Conference  at  Kent  County,  Del., 
in  April,  1779,  the  following  question  was  asked  : 
"  Ques.  12.  Ought  not  Brother  Asbury  to  act  as  general 
assistant  in  America  ?  He  ought,  first,  on  account  of 
his  age;f  second,  because  originally  appointed  by  Mr. 
Wesley;  third,  being  joined  with  Messrs.  Rankin  and 
Shadford  by  express  order  from  Mr.  Wesley."  Action 
to  the  same  effect  was  taken  also  at  the  Conference  of 

*See  Memoir  of  Eliz.  Brovver,  Christian  Advocate^  vol.  vi,  p.  132. 
•f-  But  lie  was  only  aljnut  tliirty-four.      If  his   age   gave   liim   pre- 
eniinence,  the  Conference  must  have  been  youthful. 


80    A  History  of  Methodism  in^  New  York  City. 

1782,  and  now  that  New  Yoi-k  city  was  again  open  to 
receive  a  Conference  preacher  Asbury  tries  to  secure 
one  who  was  well  qualified  for  the  delicate  position. 
There  is  something  significant,  also,  in  the  appointment 
of  two  preachers  to  the  charge.  This  had  never  been 
done  before,  and  did  not  occur  again  until  1787.  It  is 
likely  that  Asbury  felt  that  Spraggs  would  not  probably 
remain  there,  and  that,  indeed,  it  was  not  desirable  that 
he  should.  Some  one  who  could  win  the  aflfection  of 
the  people  and  command  their  respect,  and  who  could 
prudently  guide  affairs  in  the  existing  crisis,  was 
needed,  and  Dickins  seems  to  have  been  such  a  man. 
He  was  one  of  the  soundest  minds  and  ablest  preach- 
ers of  the  early  Methodist  ministry;  a  good  scholar  in 
English,  Latin,  Greek,  Hebrew,  and  mathematics;  sin- 
gularly wise  and  influential  in  counsel,  and  mighty  in 
the  pulj^it;  "one  of  the  greatest  and'best  men  of  that 
age  :  as  it  was  said  of  Whitefield,  he  preached  like  a 
lion."  *  "  He  was,"  says  Ware,  "  not  only  one  of  the 
most  sensible  men  I  ever  knew,  but  one  of  the  most 
conscientious."  f  Asbury  writes:  "For  piet}^,  probity, 
profitable  preaching,  holy  living,  Christian  education  of 
his  children,  secret  closet  prayer,  I  doubt  whether  his 
superior  is  to  be  found  in  Europe  or  America."  J  He 
compiled  the  Scriptural  Catechism,  which  was  long  used 
in  Methodist  families,  and  has  never  been  excelled.  He 
was  the  first  "  book  steward,"  and  laid  the  foundation 
of  the  publishing  business  of  the  Church.  From  1789 
to  1798  he  was  both  book  agent  and  editor.  On  Sep- 
tember 27  of  the  latter  year  he  died  of  yellow  fever  in 
Philadelphia.     His  grave  is  in  the  ground  in  the  rear  of 

*  LedDum,  p.  198. 
j;  Jlemoir  of  TJiomas  Ware,  p.  215. 

I  Asbury's  Journal,  October  9,  1798;  Stevens's  History  of  Methodist 
UpiscojMl  Church,  vols,  iii  and  iv. 


The  Stokm  axd  the  Clearing.  81 

St.  George's  Church,  and  a  tablet  to  his  memory  has 
been  placed  on  the  rear  wall.* 

By  the  24th  of  June  Dickins  was  at  his  post  in  New 
York,  for  then,  according  to  the  "Old  Book,"  he  re- 
ceived his  first  payment  of  three  guineas.  Spraggs 
seems  to  have  left  not  long  after,  as  his  name  disappears 
from  the  record  after  the  10th  of  July. 

Hitherto  the  "  Preachers'  House  "  in  New  York  had 
been  a  "  Bachelors'  Hall  ; "  now  it  became  the  home  of 
a  Christian  family.  That  the  people  appreciated  the 
fact  is  evident  from  the  "  Old  Book,"  in  which  are 
found,  among  other  items  of  expenditure,  charges  for  a 
trainil,  sheets,  table-cloths,  towels,  articles  of  kitchen 
furniture,  a  chest  of  drawers,  a  pair  of  bellows,  bot- 
toming six  chairs,  an  ax,  a  saucepan,  repairing  bedstead, 
etc.  It  is  not  at  all  unlikely,  also,  that  they  appreciated 
it  in  another  sense.  The  wife  of  a  preacher  newly  ap- 
pointed to  a  charge  is  even  now  an  object  of  curiosity 
and  interest,  hardly  less  than  the  preacher  himself; 
but  this  was  the  first  Methodist  preacher' s  loife  the  New 
York  Society  had  ever  seen.  It  is  not  likely  that  Mrs. 
Dickins  ever  had  to  complain  of  loneliness. 

But  however  it  may  have  been  about  the  wife,  the 
husband  was  soon  hard  at  work.  Asbury,  who  had  not 
been  in  the  city  for  some  years,  arrived  on  Monday  even- 
ing, August  25,  and  writes,  "I  found  Brother  Dickins 
preaching."  On  Wednesday  he  says:  "I  was  close  and 
searching  ;  a  few  felt  it — a  little  of  the  good  old  Sj)irit 
yet  prevails  among  these  people."  On  Sunday,  the 
31st,  he  writes:  "In  the  evening  I  thought  it  necessary 
to  put  them  on  an  examination  whether  they  were 
Christians  or  not.  I  spoke  on  2  Cor.  xiii,  15.  I  was 
very  much  led  out;  a  power  went  forth,  and  I  hope 

*  Conference  Minutes  ;  Daniels's  Illustrated  History  of  Methodism, 
pp.  719-722. 


82    A  IIisTOKY  OF  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

some  real  good  was  done."  The  next  day  he  left  the 
city  and  turned  his  face  to  the  South. 

Only  sixty  members,  however,  were  reported  at  the 
Conference  of  1 784.  Dickins  was  reappointed.  Asbury 
visited  the  city  in  August,  1784.  Arriving  on  Friday, 
the  27th,  he  says:  "  We  found  the  people  alive  to  God  ; 
there  are  about  one  hundred  in  Society,  and  with  those 
in  Philadelphia,  to  my  mind,  aj^pear  more  like  Method- 
ists than  I  liave  ever  yet  seen  them."  On  Monday,  the 
30th,  he  visited,  prayed,  wrote,  met  the  classes,  and  in 
the  evening  preached.  lie  "  found  great  consolation 
and  fellowship  in  the  classes."  On  Monday,  September 
7,  he  writes :  "  I  took  leave  of  my  dear  friends  in  New 
York.  They  showed  their  love  in  deed  and  in  truth, 
liberally  supplying  me  with  what  was  necessary."  When 
he  canie  again  he  was  clothed  with  new  authority. 

The  close  of  the  year  1784  was  a  very  important  era 
in  the  history  of  American  Methodism.  Mr.  Wesley, 
though  he  had  not  looked  with  favor  on  the  efforts  of 
the  American  Colonies  for  independence,  modified  his 
views  somewhat,  and  when  the  contest  was  over  was 
ready  to  accept  the  situation.  He  therefore  took  meas- 
ures to  provide  for  their  spiritual  wants,  and,  having  by 
experiment  proved  the  impossibility  of  securing  ordina- 
tion for  his  preachers  from  the  bishops  of  the  Church 
of  England,  and  convinced  that  he  was  scripturally  as 
much  a  bishop  as  any  of  them,  he  proceeded  to  set  apart 
Dr.  Thomas  Coke  as  superintendent  of  the  Methodist 
Societies  in  America,  and  Richard  Whatcoat  and  Thomas 
Vasey  as  elders.  Coke  was  a  clergyman  of  the  English 
Church  who  some  eight  or  nine  years  before  had  con- 
nected himself  with  Mr.  Wesley,  and  had  been  employed 
by  him  in  visiting  and  regulating  the  Societies,  and  had 
))resided,  as  Wesley's  representative,  at  the  first  separate 
Conference  for  the  Irish  preachers  in  Dublin,  in  1782. 


The  Stokm  and  the  Clearing.  83 

Whatcoat  and  Vasey  were  members  of  the  English 
Conference;  Whatcoat  had  traveled  fifteen  years  and 
Vasey  nine. 

The  vessel  in  which  they  embarked  left  Bristol  on 
the  18th  of  September,  1784,  and  arrived  at  New  York 
on  November  3.  Inquiring  for  the  Methodistpreaching- 
house,  a  gentleman  who  had  no  connection  with  the 
Methodists  took  Coke  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Sands,  where 
he  "  foinid  himself  in  a  region  of  hospitality  and  friend- 
liness." Mr.  Dickins  soon  visited  him  and  rejoiced  at 
the  tidings  lie  brought.  The  doctor  set  out  for  the 
South,  and  on  Sunday,  the  14th  of  November,  met  Mr. 
Asbury  at  Barrett's  Cliapel,  in  Maryland.  There  it  was 
decided  to  send  out  messengers  to  call  the  preachers 
together  at  Baltimore  on  the  day  before  Christmas. 
They  met,  and,  as  Whatcoat  says,  '•'  agreed  to  form  a 
Methodist  Episcopal  Cliurch,  in  which  the  Liturgy  (as 
presented  by  the  Rev.  John  Wesley)  should  be  read 
and  the  sacraments  be  administered  by  a  superintendent, 
elders,  and  deacons,  who  shall  be  ordained  by  a  presb}^- 
tery,  using  the  Episcopal  form,  as  prescribed  in  the 
Kl'V.  Mr.  Wesley's  prayer-book."*  Wesley's  choice 
of  Asbury  as  joint  superintendent  with  Coke  was  rati- 
fied, and  he  was  accordingly  ordained. 

*  Memoirs  of  Whatcoat,  p.  21.  The  italics  are  his  own.  ''Mr. 
Wesley's  prayer-book,"  referred  to  by  Whatcoat,  is  a  I2ra()  volume 
of  314  pages,  entitled  •'  Tlie  Sunday  Service  of  the  Methodists  in  North 
America.  With  Other  Occasional  Services.  London;  printed  in  the 
year  1784."  (Another  edition  was  afterward  published.)  Mr.  Weslej' 
saj's  in  the  preface :  "  I  believe  there  is  no  Liturgy  in  tlie  World,  either 
in  any  ancient  or  modern  Language,  which  breathes  more  of  a  solid, 
scriptural,  rational  Piety  than  the  Common  Praj^er  of  the  Church  of 
England.  And  tlio'  the  main  of  it  was  compiled  considerably  more 
tlian  Two  Hundred  Years  ago,  yet  is  the  Language  of  it  not  only  pure, 
but  strong  and  elegant  in  the  liigliest  Degree. 

"  Little  Alteration  is  made  in  the  following  Edition  of  it  (which  I 


84    A  History  of  Methodism  ix  Xew  Yorav  City. 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  action  of  that  Christmas 
Conference  and  the  adoption  of  this  "  Sunday  Service,"' 
tlie  trustees  of  John  Street  would  not  have  found  it 
necessary  to  incur  certain  expenses  of  which  we  find 
account  in  the  "  Old  Book."  Two  entries  under  date 
of  January  8,  1785,  read  : 

To  2  prayer-books  for  preacliing-house £0  ]3s.  Od. 

To  cash  pd  for  the  altar-piece 16    16      1 

Up  to  this  time  the  Methodists  had  received  the  com- 
munion at  Trinity,  St.  Paul's,  or  St.  George's  Church; 
now  they  could  have  it  in  their  own  spiritual  home  and 
from  the  hands  of  their  own  pastors,  and  their  joy  be- 
cause of  the  privilege  is  proved  by  the  promptness  with 

reconimeud  to  our  Societies  ia  Amtrica),  except  iu  the  following 
Instances: 

"  1.  Most  of  tlie  Holy-days  (so-called)  are  omitted,  as  at  present 
answering  no  valuable  End. 

"2.  The  service  for  the  Lord's  Day,  the  Length  of  wliich  has  been 
often  complained  of,  is  considerably  shortened. 

"3.  Some  Sentences  in  the  Offices  of  Baptism  and  for  the  Burial  of 
the  Dead  are  omitted;  and 

'■  4.  Many  Psalms  are  left  out  and  mnny  Parts  of  the  others,  as 
being  highly  improper  for  the  Mouths  of  a  Christian  Congregation. 

"  John  Wesley. 

"Bristol,  Sepfeynber  9,  1784." 

The  forms  for  ordination  are  anbstantially  as  in  the  present  ritual, 
except  that  instead  of  "  consecrating  bishops  "  it  reads  "  ordaining  of 
a  superintendent."  Bound  up  witli  it,  at  least  in  the  writer's  copy, 
is  a  collection  of  psalms  and  hymns  published  by  John  and  Charles 
Wesley;  and  it  is  singular  that,  of  the  less  than  one  hundred  hymns  it 
contains,  only  about  one  quarter  of  them  are  in  use  among  us  at  the 
present  day,  while  of  those  in  the  old  hymn-book  referred  to  before 
more  than  one  half  are  still  in  use  and  about  one  lialf  of  the  rest  were 
familiar  a  few  years  ago.  It  is  said  that  this  liturgy  was  in  use  until 
1792.*  The  author's  copy  bears  on  the  title-page  the  name  of  Paul 
Hick  in  his  own  liand,  and  contains  some  curious  peculiarities. 
*  Stevens's  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  il,  p.  198. 


The  Storm  axd  the  Clearing.  85 

which  they  made  the  necessaiy  ai-rangements.*  An 
entry  under  the  same  date  reads : 

To  cash  pd  Dr.  Coke £2  5s.  Od 

As  the  doctor  was  in  the  city  at  the  time,  may  he  not 
have  administered  tliat  first  communion  in  old  Jolin 
Street  Church  ?  It  is  also  worthy  of  notice  that  up  to 
this  period  the  building  was  called  a  "  chapel "  or  a 
"preaching-house,"     But  on  April  29  we  read: 

Casli  paid  for  recording  election  roll  of  the  trustees  to  the 

churcli £0    6.S.  0(7. 

Yerily,  the  John   Street   people   were   lifting   up   their 
heads  !    The  title  "  Preaching-House  "  occurs  afterward, 
but  is  gradually  supplanted  by  that  of  "  Church." 
But  to  that  election  of  trustees  which  took  place  in 

*  In  the  lecture-room  of  the  present  church  in  John  Street  is  a 
mahogany  altar-rail,  whicii  is  said  to  liave  been  in  the  first  church, 
and  to  be  the  handiwork  of  Embury.  This  last  assertion  the  writer 
lias  long  doubted,  and  at  length  he  is  convinced  it  is  incorrect. 

1.  It  is  not  likely  that  a  very  plain  building,  such  as  the  first  church 
was  originally,  would  have  had  a  mahogany  altar-rail.  2.  There  was 
no  reason  for  putting  in  any  altar  at  all.  The  Methodists  were  accus- 
tomed to  go  to  the  Church  of  England  for  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  the 
practice  of  inviting  seekers  to  kneel  at  the  altar  was  not  introduced 
until  many  years  after.  3.  Whether  by  altar-piece  we  are  to  under- 
stand the  altar  railing  is  not  clear,  but  it  will  be  hard  to  find  any  other 
meaning.  4.  But,  finally,  what  seems  to  be  demonstration  is  found  in  a 
passage  of  Dr.  Coke's  journal,  in  the  Arminian  Magazine  (American) 
of  June,  1789.  He  is  speaking  of  the  organizntion  of  the  Church  at 
the  Christmas  Couference  of  1784,  and  says  of  New  York  city:  "We 
expected  that  this  Societ}'  would  have  made  the  greatest  opposition 
to  our  plati,but,  on  the  contrary,  they  have  been  most  forward  to  pro- 
mote it.  They  have  already  put  up  a  reading-desk  and  railed  in  a 
communion-table."  (Quoted  in  Atkinson's  Centennial  History,  p.  32.) 
There  could,  therefore,  have  been  no  railing  before  this.  The  altar  and 
book-board  in  tiie  present  lecture-roora  may  be  those  put  in  at  this 
time,  but  they  look  very  much  like  what  were  in  llie  second  church. 


86    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

the  spring  of  1785  there  is  no  other  reference  in  the 
"  Old  Book,"  though  some  at  least  of  the  preceding 
elections  (if  they  might  be  so  called)  are  recorded  there. 
But  here  we  have  light  from  another  quarter.  In  or 
before  1845  S.  Martindale,  Jr.,  Esq.,  solicitor  for  the 
trustees  at  that  time  in  regard  to  a  legacy  which  had 
been  left  to  them  for  charitable  purposes,  brought  to 
light  the  original  certificate  of  this  election.  A  copy 
of  it  will  be  found  among  the  papers  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  the  Eighteenth  Street  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  It  is  indorsed  "  Recorded  for  and  at  the  re- 
quest of  Mr.  Stephen  Sands,  this  thirteenth  day  of 
April,  1785."  Without  giving  tlie  paper  at  length,  it 
will  be  enough  to  say  it  states  that  the  election,  under 
the  law  of  April  6,  1784,  was  held  in  the  church,  March 
16,  1785,  and  William  Lupton,  John  Jacob  Staples, 
Lewis  Faugre,  Abraham  Russell,  Henry  Xewton,  and 
Stephen  Sands  were  chosen.  The  paper  is  signed  by 
Jolni  Jacob  Staples  and  Stephen  Sands  as  inspectors  of 
the  election,  and  is  recorded  in  lib.  i  of  Religious 
Incorporations,  p.  13,  one  of  the  earliest,  it  seems,  that 
were  entered  on  the  record.* 

And  now  while  their  stakes  are  becoming  strength- 
ened they  have  a  mind  to  lengthen  their  cords.  On 
May  1,  1785,  Leonard  Lispenard,  Sr.,  deeded  to  this 
Board  of  Trustees  for  £700  two  lots  adjoining  the 
church  plot  on  the  south,  measuring  in  front  a  little 
over  fifty  feet,  and  in  depth  nearly  one  hundred  feet. 
The  seal  to  this  document  looks  very  much  like  the  head 
of  John  Wesley,  though  it  is  hardly  probable  that  it 
was  intended  to  represent  him.  This  deed  is  recorded 
p.  509,  lib.  43  of  Conveyances,  September,  1786;  Robt. 
Benson,  clerk. 

*  Chrktian  Advocate,  vol.  xx,  p.  59. 


SowixG  AND  Reaping.  87 


CHAPTER  IX. 

SOWING-  AND  REAPING.— FROM  THI-I  CONFERENCE  OF 
1785  TO  1788. 

The  Minutes  of  the  Conferences  of  1785  state  the 
total  membership  at  eighteen  tliousand,  but  do  not  give 
a  particular  report  of  each  charge.  John  Hagerty  was 
stationed  in  New  York.  He  was  born  in  Maryland,  in 
1747,  and  converted  under  the  ministry  of  John  King 
about  1771.  His  name  first  appears  in  tlie  list  of  ap- 
pointments in  1779,  and  he  was  one  of  the  elders 
ordained  at  the  Christmas  Conference.  He  was  very 
successful  in  the  work,  but  in  1794*  he  was  compelled 
to  locate  on  account  of  the  ill  health  of  his  wife.  He 
settled  in  Baltimore,  where  he  continued  to  preach  with 
great  acceptability,  and  died  in  the  faith  in  1823,  aged 
seventy-six  years,  f 

In  the  Minutes  of  this  year  we  find  the  first  indica- 
tions of  the  presiding  eldership,  and  the  first  name  in 
the  list  of  elders  of  the  district  in  which  New  York  city 
was  included  is  that  of  Thomas  S.  Chew.J 

At    the    same  Conference    Ezekiel    Cooper   was    ap- 

*  Not  1792,  as  Stevens  and  Sprague  say;  see  Minutes. 

f  Stevens's  History  of  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  ii,  p.  66. 

\  Of  Thomas  S.  Chew  we  know  nothing  except  what  is  furnished 
by  the  Hst  of  his  appointments  in  the  Minutes.  From  1777  to  1784 
he  labored  in  various  charges  in  Baltimore  and  in  the  neighborhood, 
then  three  years  in  the  eldership,  and  in  1788  the  Minutes  say 
he  "  desisted  from  traveling."  It  is  elsewhere  stated  that  he  was 
expelled,  §  and  if  so  the  sun  of  the  first  New  York  presiding  elder 
set  under  a  cloud. 

§  Lee's  History  of  Methodism,  p.  317 ;  Dr.  Bangs's  History  of  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  vol.  iv,  Appendix,  p.  8. 
7 


88    A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

pointed  to  Long  Island.  He  was  a  native  of  Maryland, 
born  in  1768.  He  entered  the  ministry  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  and  served  tlie  Church  in  New  York  as  their 
pastor,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter.  He  was  book  agent 
for  several  years,  and  died  in  1847,  the  oldest  Meth- 
odist preacher  at  the  time  in  America.  He  is  said  to 
have  been  a  man  of  great  power  in  tlie  pulpit,  and  al- 
most nnequaled  in  debate.  The  preachers  called  him 
JOyciirgus,  because  of  his  profound  wisdom.  He  was 
at  once  prudently  liberal  and  liberally  conservative. 
He  never  married.*  In  his  diary  he  says:  "Friday, 
June  10,  I  got  into  New  York  about  ten  o'clock;  but  I 
knew  nothing  of  the  city,  and  the  name  of  but  one  of 
our  people  therein,  Avhich  was  Mr.  Stephen  Sands. 
Providentially  I  fell  in  with  a  gentleman  who  con- 
ducted me  to  his  house.  He  was  in  bed  and  asleep. 
I  then  began  to  think  that  I  should  have  to  go  to  a 
tavern  for  lodging,  but  by  knocking  at  the  door  he  was 
aroused  and  received  me  kindly.  I  found  much  peace 
of  mind  to  think  that,  though  so  far  from  home,  I  had 
found  such  friends."  f 

Mr.  Hagerty  not  having  arrived,  Mr.  Cooper  con- 
sented to  remain  in  the  city  until  he  came.  He  says: 
"  Sunday,  12th,  I  preached  three  times  with  a  degree  of 
satisfaction."  He  also  preached  on  Monday,  Wednes- 
day, and  Friday  evenings,  and  Thursday  at  the  poor- 
house.  On  Saturday  Mr.  Hagerty  arrived,  and  Mr. 
Cooper  departed  for  Long  Island. 

In  July,  however,  they  exchanged  for  two  weeks. 
Mr.  Cooper  says,  Saturday,  July  10:  "I  preached  in  a 
private  house  near  Fresh  Water  Pump  (near  the  corner 
of  Pearl  and  Chatham  Streets)  at  night,  on  the  neces- 
sity of  watchfulness."     "  Sunday,  17th,  I  preached  three 

*  J.  Kennedy,  in  Sprague's  Annals. 
\  Light  on  Early  Mtihodism.  p.  28. 


Sowing  and  Reaping.  89 

times  in  the  church.  I  believe  the  Lord  touched  several 
hearts."  Tuesday,  19th,  he  dined  at  Mr.  Staples's,  and 
"  preached  at  night  from  '  Behold  the  man! '  The  Lord 
struck  several  hearts.  Some  dated  their  conviction  from 
that  service;  among  them  Miss  Cornelia  Anderson."  * 
Thursday,  21st,  he  preaclied  at  three  o'clock  in  the  poor- 
house,  and  at  night  met  the  Band  Society.  During  the 
following  week  he  preached  three  times  in  the  church 
on  the  Lord's  day,  and  on  Thursday  at  the  poor-house. 
He  was  accompanied  by  the  Rev.  Jeremiah  Lambert, 
who  was  on  a  visit  from  the  West  Indies,  and  who  died 
not  long  after.  On  Saturday  he  returned  to  Long 
Island. f 

On  Wednesda}^,  August  31,  Bishop  Asbury  reached 
New  York,  and  "  preached  on  the  three  following  days, 
although  weak  in  body  and  languid  in  sj^irit."  Sunday, 
September  4,  he  says:  "Notwithstanding  I  was  very 
unwell,  I  preached  thrice,  [and]  read  prayers  twice 
[Mr.  Wesley's  Sunday  Service  was  in  use,  it  seems],  and 
held  a  love-feast."  "  Our  Society  here  has  increased 
in  number  and  grace;  our  congregation  also  grows 
larger."  "My  friends  here  have  been  liberal  indeed 
in  supplying  my  temporal  needs ;  may  they  be  abun- 
dantly rewarded  in  spirituals!"  (The  "Old  Book" 
says,  "Cash  paid  Mr.  Asbury,  £6.")  After  preaching 
on  the  morning  of  Wednesday,  September  7,  he  left 
the  city. 

Toward  the  close  of  September  Cooper  was  again 
in  New  York,  preaching  very  much  as  he  did  on  the 
former  occasions.  Among  others  visited  was  the 
Anderson  family.  Miss  Cornelia,  who  had  been  con- 
victed in  July,  was  now  happy  in  the  love  of  God,  and 

*This  may  have  been  the  daughter  of  the  Mrs.  Anderson  whose 
liberal  donation  is  noticed,  p.  447.     Appendix  E. 
\  Light  on  Em-ly  Mdliodism,  p.  ol. 


90    A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

others  were  seeking.  The  duty  of  providing  for  the 
religious  instruction  of  children  was  beginning  to  he 
felt,  and  Mr.  Cooper  writes:  "Wednesday,  Septem- 
ber 28,  At  three  o'clock  I  met  thirteen  or  four- 
teen children  in  order  to  catechise  them.  The  Lord 
met  us,  and  powerfully  wrought  on  the  dear  children. 
I  believe  there  was  not  more  than  one  of  them  but 
was  in  a  flood  of  tears."  "  I  don't  recollect  that 
I  ever  saw  a  number  of  children  so  wrought  upon 
before."  * 

Among  the  charges  in  the  "Old  Book,"  in  Februar}^, 
1786,  we  read:  Cash  paid  for  Mr.  Lynch's  chest,  £0  4s. 
As  no  traveling  jjreacher  by  the  name  of  Lynch  is 
found  in  the  Minutes,  we  might  ask  who  is  he  and  why 
is  his  baggage  paid  for,  and  get  no  answer  if  it  were 
not  for  E.  Cooper's  Journal.  There  we  learn  that  Mr. 
Lynch  was  a  local  preacher  who  came  to  the  city  in  the 
early  part  of  October  and  assisted  in  the  work.  Sin- 
ners were  converted  and  believers  sanctified.  At  the 
watch-night  services,  on  the  last  night  of  the  year  1785, 
five  preachers  were  present,  namely,  Hagerty,  Cooper, 
Brush,  Lynch,  and  Sands.  "  It  was  a  season  of  com- 
fort, and  added  to  the  religious  fervor  that  already 
prevailed."  Among  the  good  results  of  this  revival 
was  an  increased  interest  in  the  spiritual  welfare  of 
the  poor  and  of  prisoners.  On  Sunday,  May  14,  a 
note  was  sent  to  the  church  stating  that  nearly  one 
hundred  prisoners  desired  the  prayers  of  the  congre- 
gation.f 

In  the  meanwhile  the  trustees  purchased  other  prop- 
erty. "  The  Reformed  Dutch  Church  held  a  mortgage 
on  a  house  and  lot;  they  foreclosed,  and  the  property 
was  sold  at  auction  and  purchased  by  the  trustees  of 
the  John  Street  preaching-house  for  three  hundred 
*  Light  on  Early  Methodism,  p.  32.  f  Ibid,,  p.  34 


Sowing  axd  Reaping.  91 

pounds.     They  obtained  their  deed,  which  was  dated 
April  12,  1786,  from  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church."* 

Members  in  New  York:  Whites,  178;  colored,  25^;  so 
reads  the  report  for  1786.  f  John  Dickins  goes  to  New 
York  again,  and  John  Tunnell  is  the  elder.  J  He  re- 
ceived several  payments  during  the  year,  amounting  in 
all  to  £25  125.  On  the  13th  August  the  trustees  paid 
Mr.  Cloud  (probably  Robert  Cloud,  then  at  Newark, 
N.  J.)  £2  for  traveling  expenses,  and  on  September  5 

*  Wakeley's  Lost  Chajikrs,  p.  64.  Dr.  Wakeley  says  this  was  ad- 
joining their  church  property,  but  a  reference  to  the  deed,  which  is  in 
possession  of  the  trustees  of  tlie  Eigliteenth  Street  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Ciiurch,  will  show  this  to  be  an  error.  The  property  bought  in 
1785  of  L.  Lispenard  was  adjoining.  The  author  of  The  Charter 
Church  is  also  in  error  when  he  says  (page  19)  that  this  was  "  the  plot 
on  which  the  old  church  was  situated."  No  account  of  payments  for 
this  land,  nor  for  that  bought  the  year  before,  is  found  in  the  "  Old 
Book  ; "  but  some  entries  shortly  afterward  may  explain  the  use  that 
was  made  of  it.  On  May  30,  as  it  tells  us,  Mr.  Russell  was  paid  in 
part  for  building  school-house,  £8;  on  May  31,  £14;  o;i  June  17, 
£10,  and  on  July  1  '-the  balance,"  £33  85.  lid;  in  all  £65  Ss.  Ud. 
This  may  not  be  the  whole,  however,  as  some  other  payments  were 
made  to  Mr.  Russell  afterward,  though  they  are  not  slated  to  be  for 
the  school-house. 

f  This  custom  of  reporting  the  numbers  of  the  colored  people  sepa- ' 
rately  began  at  this  Conference.     It  is  not  necessary  to  believe  that 
it  was  intended  as  an  invidious  distinction.     It  was  desirable  to  know 
how  the  work  was  going  on  in  tlie  two  different  races.     The  practice 
ceased  about  1852. 

J  Of  him  we  know  little  more  tlian  of  his  predecessor.  Chew.  He 
began  his  ministry  about  the  same  time,  and  labored  mostly  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Baltimore  and  farther  South.  He,  however,  con- 
tinued in  tlie  field  until  his  deatli  in  July,  1790.  In  1787  he  was 
sent  with  four  itinerants,  among  whom  was  young  Thomas  Ware,  be- 
yond tlie  mountains  to  the  Holston  country,  now  called  East  Tennes- 
see, and  thus  became  one  of  the  founders  of  Metliodism  in  the  great 
valley  of  the  "West.§  He  was  "a  man  of  solid  piety,  great  sim- 
plicity, and  godly  sincerity."  || 

8  Stevens's  Hisforu  of  tlte  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  ii,  p.  34. 
II  Minutes  of  1790. 


92    A  History  of  Methodism  in  Neav  York  City. 

"  toward  a  liorse  for  a  poor  preacher,  at  the  desire  of 
Mr.  Asbury,  £3  2.^." 

Another  indication  of  Ashnry's  pi-esence  in  New 
York  is  found  just  afterward.  They  paid  his  traveling 
expenses,  £2.  Looking  into  his  Journal,  Ave  read  that 
he  reached  the  city  on  the  31st  of  August,  and  was 
confined  about  eight  days  with  illness.  On  Sunday, 
September  17,  he  says:  "It  was  a  very  solemn  season 
at  the  ordination  of  Brother  Dickins  to  the  eldership. 
I  gave  the  charge  from  1  Tim.  iii,  10-14."  The  passage 
is  signiticant,  and  is  therefore  given  in  part:  "And  let 
these  also  first  be  proved;  then  let  them  use  the  office 
of"  deacon,  being  found  blameless.  Even  so  must  their 
wives  be  grave,  not  slanderers,  sober,  faithful  in  all 
things.  Let  the  deacons  be  the  husbands  of  one  wife, 
ruling  their  children  and  their  own  houses  well,"  etc. 
Mr.  Dickins  was  one  of  the  few  married  men  in  the 
itinerancy,  and  the  bishop  no  doubt  felt  it  well  to  give 
to  him  and  his  good  wife  such  counsel  as  he  thought 
needful.  From  all  we  can  learn  in  regard  to  them 
both,  the  text  could  not  be  regarded  as  an  innuendo. 
Tie  adds:  "I  met  tlie  Society,  and  opened  my  mind  to 
them  on  various  subjects."  In  the  following  week, 
having  settled  some  temporal  matters  relative  to  the 
suppcrt  of  the  stationed  preachers,  he  departed  for 
Elizabethtown. 

But  another  man  was  in  the  city  whose  name  is  less 
widely  known,  but  whose  preaching  excited  more 
interest  than  that  of  the  bisho]).  The  ]Vew  York  Packet 
(a  newspaper  of  that  day)  of  September  11,  1786,  says: 
"Lately  came  to  this  city  a  very  singular  black  man, 
who,  it  is  said,  is  quite  ignorant  of  letters,  yet  he  has 
preached  in  the  Methodist  church  several  times  to  the 
acceptance  of  several  well-disposed,  judicious  people. 
He  delivers  his  discourses  with  great  zeal  and  pathos, 


SowixG  AND  Reaping.  93 

and  liis  languaire  and  connection  is  by  no  means  con- 
temptible. It  is  tlie  wisli  of  several  of  our  correspond- 
ents that  this  same  black  man  may  be  so  far  successful 
as  to  rouse  the  dormant  zeal  of  numbers  of  our  slothful 
white  people,  who  seem  very  little  affected  about  the 
concerns  of  another  world."  *  Those  who  have  ever 
heard  of  "Black  Harry"  will  suspect  that  he  was  the 
preacher,  and  the  "Old  Book"  proves  their  suspicions 
correct.  Right  next  to  an  entry  of  two  pounds  paid  to 
Asbury  for  traveling  expenses  is  one  of  the  same 
amount  paid  to  Henr}^  Hosier  for  the  same  purpose. 
Although  he  appears  here  for  the  first  time  in  connec- 
tion with  New  York  Metliodism,  he  had  been  for  several 
years  well  known  and  highly  esteemed  in  other  parts 
of  the  country,  f  He  was,  says  Raybold,  J  "one  of  the 
greatest  prodigies  of  those  early  days  among  the  Meth- 
odists. He  had  been  a  slave  in  the  South,  but  was 
manumitted  and  converted  and  became  a  preacher, 
which,  at  that  time,  was  considered  a  most  extraordinary 
affair."  When  Dr.  Coke,  having  met  Asbury  at  B.ir- 
rett's  Chapel,  set  out  to  preach  and  visit  the  Societies 
in  the  interval  until  the  meeting  of  the  Christmas  Con- 
ference, Asbury  sent  with  him  Harry  as  a  companion 
and  guide.  Tlie  doctor  heard  him.  preach  several  times, 
and  was  delighted  with  his  African  colleague.  He  says: 
"  I  really  believe  that  he  is  one  of  the  best  preachers  in 
the  world^there  is  such  an  amazing  power  attends  his 
word,  though  he  cannot  read,  §  and  he  is  one  of  the 

*This  is  the  first  notice  of  Metliodism  in  New  York  which  I  have 
found  in  any  of  our  city  papers. 

f  "  He  must  not  be  confounded  with  'Black  Harry'  of  St.  Eusta- 
tius,  who  occupies  so  romantic  a  place  in  Coke's  subsequent  historj'." 
— Stevens's  History  of  the  Mdhodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  ii,  p.  1*74. 

\  Reminiscences  of  Methodism  in  West  Jersey,  p.  165. 

§  An  attempt  was  made  to  teach  him  to  read,  but,  to  use  Harry's 
words,  "  when  he  tried  to  read  he  lost  the  gift  of  preaching,"  and  so 
gave  it  up  eniirely.    Reminiscences  of  Methodism  inWest  Jersey,  p.  16G. 


94    A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

humblest  creatures  I  ever  saw."  *  He  afterward  trav- 
eled with  Garrettson,  and  was  with  him  when  he  met 
Jesse  Lee  in  Boston  in  1790.  On  his  returning  journey 
Garrettson  says:  "July  29,  I  rode  to  Hudson,  where  I 
found  the  people  very  curious  to  hear  Harry.  I  there- 
fore declined  preaching,  that  their  curiosity  might  be 
satisfied.  The  different  denominations  heard  him  with 
much  admiration,  and  the  Quakers  thought  that,  as  he 
was  unlearned,  he  must  preach  by  immediate  inspira- 
tion, f  The  celebrated  Dr.  Rush,  of  Philadelphia  — 
making  allowance  for  his  illiteracy — pronounced  him 
"the  greatest  orator  in  America."  J  Harry  afterward 
became  temporarily  the  victim  of  wine,  but  had  moral 
strength  to  recover  himself,  after  wrestling  all  night  in 
prayer.  Thenceforth  he  continued  faithful  until  his 
death,  which  took  place  in  Philadelphia  about  1810. 
A  great  procession  of  both  black  and  white  admirers 
followed  him  to  his  grave,  and  burled  him  "  as  a  hero, 
once  overcome,  but  finally  victorious."  §     It  is  said  he 

♦Stevens's  Hi-itory  of  the  Mdhodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  ii,  p.  177. 

f  Life  of  Garrettson,  p.  195.  It  has  been  siiid  that  on  one  occasion, 
in  Wilmington,  Del.,  where  Methodism  was  lonp;  unpopular,  a  number 
of  the  citizens  who  did  not  ordinarily  attend  Methodist  preaching 
came  together  to  hear  Bisliop  Asbury.  Old  Asbury  Chapel  was,  at 
that  time,  so  full  that  they  could  not  get  in.  They  stood  outside  to 
hear  the  bishop,  as  tiiey  supposed,  but  in  reality  they  heard  Harry. 
Before  they  left  the  place  they  complimented  the  speaker  by  saying: 
"  If  all  Methodist  preachers  could  preach  like  the  bishop  wo  should 
like  to  bo  constant  hearers."  Some  one  present  replied  :  "That  was 
not  the  bishop,  but  the  bishop's  servant."  This  only  raised  the  bishop 
higher  in  their  estimation,  as  their  conclusion  was,  "  If  such  be  the 
servant,  what  must  the  master  be?"  The  truth  was  that  Harry  was 
a  more  popular  speaker  than  Asbnrv,  or  almost  any  one  else  in  his 
day.  Lednum,  p.  282;  Stevens's  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  vol.  ii,  p.  175. 

I  Stevens's  Histo9-y  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  ii,  p.  174. 

i^  I  I/id.,  p.  175. 


Sowing  axd  Reaping.  95 

was  of  small  stature,  very  black,  with  eyes  of  remarkable 
brilliancy  and  keenness.  * 

"  Alexander  the  coppersmith  did  me  much  evil "  is 
a  text  that  it  is  said  a  preacher  once  took  as  the  foun- 
dation of  some  severe  criticism  on  the  amount  of  copper 
money  contributed  in  the  collections.  Trustees  have 
often  been  disposed  to  use  the  text  in  the  same  way, 
and  we  find  those  of  John  Street  entering  in  their  "  Old 
Book"  of  accounts,  August  28,  1786,  "By  overplus 
coppers  lying  in  the  chest,  £6  10s."  On  January  15  of 
the  following  year  they  write,  "  To  cash  paid  for  osna- 
burgs  for  copper  bags,  £0  3«."  f  It  seems  they  gath- 
ered the  "overplus"  of  "coppers  into  these  packages  and 
disposed  of  them.  In  June,  1787,  also,  they  report  a 
loss  on  bad  coppers,  £1  os.,  and  on  December  21a  loss 
on  coppers  and  Jersey  money,  £2  Os.  Id.l 

On  Wednesday,  May  15,  1787,  Asbury  came  to  Xew 
York  again,  and  Dr.  Coke  Avas  with  him.  The  Doctor 
preached,  he  says,  with  great  energy  and  acceptance. 
"  Black  Harry  "  seems  to  have  been  in  their  company,  as 
we  find  a  payment  made  to  him  on  June  11  of  two 
pounds.  On  Tuesday,  May  16,  Asbury  says,  "After 
long  silence  1  preached  on,  '  For  Zion's  sake  I  will  not 
hold  my  peace,'  etc."  After  a  short  excursion  to  Long 
Island,  visiting  Hempstead  Harbor  and  Moscheto  (now 
Glen)  Cove,  he  came  back  to  the  city  on  the  28th.     He 

*  Stevens's  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  ii,  p.  174. 

f  Osnaburgs  are  a  coarse  linen  cloth  of  wliich  bags  are  made  for 
holding  shot,  etc. 

\  New  York  was  flooded  about  this  time  with  spurious  copper 
money,  imitations  of  British  halfpence  or  of  Jersej'  coppers.  These 
"were  manufactured  largely  in  Birmingham,  England,  of  inferior  ma- 
terial and  light  weight,  and  imported  in  casks  under  the  name  of 
hardware.  See  McMaster's  History  of  the  People  of  the  United  States, 
vol.  i,  p.  401. 


96    A  IIisTOBY  OF  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

preached  at  night,  and  again  the  next  evening,  and 
says,  "  I  delivei-ed  a  close  and  awful  discourse  on,  '  They 
shall  come  from  the  east,  and  from  the  west,  and  from 
the  north,  and  from  the  south,  and  sit  down  with  Abi-a- 
ham  and  Isaac  and  Jacob,'  etc.  I  was  in  pi-ayer  until 
near  midnight.  O  Lord,  make  me  all  life  and  love;  give 
patience  and  resignation  under  the  troubles  of  the 
Church  and  disappointment  of  its  ministers."  On  Sun- 
day, June  3,  he  "  had  a  gracious  time  on  2  Cor.  iv,  1-4. 
Ordained  E.  Cooper  a  deacon.  In  the  afternoon  my 
soul  had  peace  while  I  enlarged  on  Matt,  xviii,  15,  to 
the  end."  On  Tuesday,  the  5th,  he  "  preached  on,  '  No 
man,  having  put  his  hand  to  the  plow,  and  looking  back, 
is  lit  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven,'  and  felt  freedom  and 
power  in  speaking."  On  Wednesday  he  "  met  leaders 
and  trustees,  and,  after  some  explanation,  settled  mat- 
ters relative  to  singing  in  public  worship,"  and  preached 
at  the  poor-house.  "  I  keep  myself  busy,"  he  adds,  "  in 
visiting  the  families  of  the  Society,  or  the  sick,  or  meet- 
ing class,  if  some  other  business  does  not  call  me."  On 
Sunday  he  preached  on  Luke  iv,  18,  and  in  the  after- 
noon on  Matt,  xi,  25.  The  next  day  he  "  left  the  city 
in  great  union  with  the  Lord  and  with  the  Church." 
The  people  settled  his  bill  for  horse-keeping,  £3  5s.;  but 
we  do  not  find  any  account  of  any  other  jjayment.  To 
Dr.  Coke,  however,  they  gave,  on  May  21,  £19  35.  2d.; 
after  which  he  left  for  Philadelphia,  and  on  May  27 
sailed  for  Europe, 

On  June  1 1  the  trustees  paid  for  a  communion  table 
£3  5s.,  and  on  the  15th  sent  to  Conference,  by  Brother 
Tunnell,  eleven  pounds.  On  the  20th  they  paid  for 
cleaning  the  i^reaching-house  £3  12s.,  thus  preparing 
for  the  next  Conference  year. 

Mr.  Dickins  Avas  able  to  report  at  the  Conference  a 
membership  of  235  whites  and  40  colored,  an  increase 


Sowing  and  Reaping.  97 

of  T2,  Tliis  increase,  it  seems,  made  it  necessary  to 
send  an  additional  preacher,  and  Henry  Willis  was  ap- 
pointed.    Thomas  Foster  was  the  elder.* 

The  name  of  Henry  Willis  appears  first  in  the  Min- 
utes in  1779,  when  ho  is  appointed  to  Roanoke.  He 
had  been  at  Cliarleston  before  his  appointment  to  New 
York.  He  was  afterward  in  Philadelphia,  but  became 
supernumerary  in  1791,  and  so  continued  until,  in  the 
early  part  of  1808,  at  Pipe  Creek,  Frederick  County, 
Md.,  he  died  "  with  triumphant  faith  in  Christ."  He 
was  book  agent  for  several  years,  and  one  of  the  dearest 
friends  of  Asbury.  "  He  shines  forth  as  one  of  the 
most  bi-illiant  stars  in  the  galaxy  of  early  Methodist 
preachers.  His  memory  has  much  of  the  same  fra- 
grance as  that  of  Snmmerfield."  It  is  said  he  was  the 
last  Methodist  preacher  who  wore  a  gown  in  the 
pulpit,  f 

But  the  name  of  Henry  Willis  does  not  appear  in  the 
"  Old  Book "  during  this  Conference  year,  though  it 
does  during  the  next  year,  when  he  was  elder.  Instead 
of  it  we  find  that  of  Woolman  Hickson,  It  would  seem 
that  after  Conference  a  change  was  made,  and  Hickson, 
who  in  his  zeal  was  bent  on  going  to  Nova  Scotia,  a 
field  for  which  he  was  totally  unfitted  because  of  his 
feeble  health,  was  persuaded  to  sto])  in  New  York,  and 
some  other  work  was  found  for  Willis.  J  Samuel  Q. 
Talbot,  of  New  Rochelle,  and  Peter  Moriarty,  of  Long 
Island,  and  Cornelius  Cook,  of  East  Jersey,  are  named 

*  Foster  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  entered  the  itinerancy  in  1780, 
labored  principally  in  tlie  South,  and  located  in  1*792.  "  No  minister 
■was  more  esteemed  on  account  of  sound  talent  and  holy  life." — 
Stevens's  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  ii,  p.  83. 

f  Warriner's  Old  Sands  Street,  pp.  76,  77,  where  his  portrait,  iu 
gown  and  bands,  will  be  found  facing  p.  76. 

:]:  Asbury's  JowrnaZ,  May  28,  1787. 


98    A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

as  receiving  pa^nnents  for  horse-keeping,  etc. ;  and  it  is 
probable  that  tliey  frequently  came  to  help.* 

AVoolman  Hickson's  "name  is  very  pi'ecious  to  the 
lovers  of  early  Methodism."  He  was  "  a  man  of  splendid 
talents  and  brilliant  genius.f  "     He  was  fast  hastening  to 

*0n  October  30,  1187,  6s.  3d.  was  paid  for  keeping  Brotlier 
Cook's  horse;  and  April  16,  1788,  10s.  for  Mr.  Cook's  expenses.  This 
must  have  been  tlie  Cornelius  Cook  who  hud  just  been  admitted  on 
trial  and  appointed  to  East  Jersey,  and  who  probably  came  to  help 
during  the  illness  of  the  preachers.  He  was  one  of  the  young  men 
who  accompanied  Garrettson  up  the  Hudson.  He  died  in  August, 
1789,  and  the  nature  of  his  illness  and  the  place  of  his  burial  have 
been  tlie  subject  of  some  discussion.  Dr.  Stevens's  History  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  ii,  p.  418,  says  lie  died  of  yellow  fever 
in  New  York,  in  1789;  but  from  articles  in  the  Christian  Advocate, 
vol.  xxiv,  pp.  161,  175,  and  200,  it  appears  that  his  death  took  place 
at  Lagrange,  Dutchess  County,  N.  T.,  but  of  what  disease  is  uncertiin. 
On  Xovember  16,  1787,  there  is  a  charge  of  fifteen  siiiilings  for  keep- 
ing and  shoeing  Brotlier  Talbot's  horse,  and  on  December  14,  for  some 
necessaries  for  Brother  Talbot,  £2  lOs.  He  entered  the  work  in  1786, 
and  was  first  appointed  to  Kent,  in  1787  to  New  Rochelie,  in  1783  to 
New  City,  and  in  1789  to  Dutchess,  after  which  his  name  disappears. 
Dr.  Bangs  (in  the  list  of  preachers  at  the  end  of  vol.  iv  of  his  History, 
1).  39)  reports  him  located.  Of  the  otlier  we  read:  "'May  4,  1788,  to 
casli  for  horse-hire  for  Mr.  Moriarty,  £1  Is."'  This  was  Peter  Moriarty, 
who  was  born  in  Maryland  April  27,  1758,  and  educated  a  Roman  Cath- 
olic. At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  heard  Methodist  preaching  and  was  con- 
verted. He  began  his  ministry  in  1781,  but  his  name  does  not  appear 
in  the  Miuutes  until  1782,  when  he  is  reported  as  continued  on  trial. 
At.  this  time  he  was  laboring  on  Long  Island,  and  his  succeeding  ap- 
pointments were  generally  up  the  Hudson  River.  He  died  in  1813, 
while  presiding  elder  of  the  Ashgrove  District.  It  is  said  he  was 
"  plain  in  Ids  dress,  plain  in  his  manners,  and  plain  and  pointed  in  his 
preaching,  upright  in  all  his  deportment;  in  short,  his  life  was  a  con- 
slant  comment  upon  the  Gospel  he  preached."  (Minutes  of  1814.) 
His  son,  John  Moriarty,  was  afterward  a  useful  minister  of  Christ, 
and  one  granddaughter  is  the  widow  of  W.  B.  Worrall,  of  Flush'iitr, 
L.  I.,  and  another  died  in  1885,  the  widow  of  W.  H.  Arthur,  of  New 
Tork  city. 

•j- Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  pp.  310,  314. 


Sowing  axd  Reaping.  99 

the  grave  with  consumption  when  he  came  to  New  York. 
We  do  not  know  exactly  when  he  died,  but  it  was  before 
September  30,  1788,  as  there  is  an  account  of  his  death 
in  the  Minutes  of  that  yeai*,  and  the  Conference  began 
on  that  day.  For  six  weeks  Ann  Wheeler  nursed  him, 
for  which  she  received  two  dollars  a  week,  or  £4  16s.  in 
all.  On  November  17  the  church  paid  sixteen  shillings 
for  his  funeral  expenses,  but  this  must  have  been  only 
a  part  of  the  whole  sum.* 

In  May,  1788,  Freeborn  Garrettson  arrived  in  New 
York,  intending  to  enter  New  England;  but  the  duty 
and  honor  of  being  the  pioneer  of  Methodism  in  that 
section  was  reserved  for  Jesse  Lee.  ■  Hickson  being  on 
his  death-bed,  and  Dickins  "in  ill  health,  he  was  solic- 
ited by  the  people  to  remain  with  them  to  supply  the 
pulpits."  f  He  therefore  spent  most  of  his  time  in  the 
city  until  the  ensuing  Conference.  There  is  a  charge 
for  his  horse-keeping,  four  shillings,  and  for  quarterage 
paid  to  him,  £6  8s. 

Few  names  are  more  familiar  to  the  student  of  early 
Methodism  than  that  of  Freeborn  Garrettson.  Born  in 
Maryland,  in  1752,  of  a  family  in  a  good  position  in 
the  community,  and  converted  in  1775,  he  was  admitted 
on  trial  at  the  Conference  of  1770.  Before  tliis  time 
he  had,  in  obedience  to  strong  convictions  of  duty,  set 

*  To  Woolman  Hicksoa  we  are  indebted  for  the  first  list  of  mem- 
bers with  the  name  of  the  writer  and  the  date.  It  begins  at  p.  72  of 
the  book  already  described  (book  i,  A),  and  is  dated  .July  20,  1787.  It 
is  arranged  in  seventeen  classes  of  from  eight  to  twenty-four  members, 
exckisively  male  or  female.  The  leaders  are  John  Staples,  Jonas 
Humbert,  Daniel  Coutant,  Andrew  Mercien,  Wm.  Tillou,  Peter 
McLean,  Abraham  Brower,  Robert  Snow,  John  Bleeker,  Abraham 
Russel,  Stephen  Rudd,  Cornelius  Warner,  David  Candles,  Geo.  Court- 
ney. Among  the  members  besides  tliose  already  named  (Introduc- 
tion, p.  vi)  are  Lewis  Faugeres,  Samuel  Walagrove,  Jacob  Grindle- 
mire,  Wm.  Ellison,  Robert  Bonsell,  John  Peshine,  John  Sproson. 

\Life  of  Garrettson,  p.  171. 


100  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

free  his  slaves.  At  the  Conference  of  1784  he  volun- 
teered as  missionary  to  Nova  Scotia,  from  whence  he 
returned  in  1787.  In  1789,  taking  with  him  twelve 
young  preachers,  he  laid  out  for  them  circuits  along  the 
Hudson  River  valley  as  far  north  as  Lake  Champlain. 
He  labored  afterward  in  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  New  England,  and  in  1805  and  1806  he 
was  appointed  to  New  York  city.  He  died  suddenly 
in  New  York,  September  26,  1827.  In  1793  he  married 
Catharine,  daughter  of  Hon.  Robert  R.  Livingston,  who 
survived  until  1849.  Though  not  an  eloquent  speaker, 
"  tliere  was  a  facility  and  fervor  of  expression,  and  a 
rich  tone  of  evangelical  thought  and  feelinu,  that  often 
rendered  his  discourses  exceedingly  impressive,"  "  Dur- 
ing the  whole  course  of  his  ministry,  extending  through 
a  2)eriod  of  upward  of  fifty  years,  he  received  no  pecun- 
iary recompense,  except  in  a  few  instances,  when  it  was 
urged  upon  him,  and  then  it  was  either  given  to  necessi- 
tous individuals  or  deposited  with  the  funds  of  the  Con- 
ference."* He  left  an  only  child,  a  daughter,  Miss  Mary 
R.  Garrettson,  who  survived  her  mother  and  imitated 
lier  father's  example  in  liberality. 

*  Dr.  Bangs  in  Spragiie's  Aimals  of  the  Methodist  Pulpit,  p.  G2. 


Another  Garner.  101 


CHAPTER  X. 

ANOTHER  GARNER— FROM  CONFERENCE  OP  1788  TO  1790. 

And  now  John  Street  Church  is  to  be,  for  the  first 
time,  the  place  for  a  session  of  a  Conference.  The 
printed  Minutes  are  silent  in  regard  to  it.  None  had 
ever  been  held  north  of  Philadelphia  before,  and  no 
session  had  been  appointed  north  of  Baltimore  for 
1788,  but  it  is  probable  that  Bishop  Asbmy  had 
seen  the  necessity  of  the  case  and  sent  word  that 
he  would  hold  a  session  in  New  York.  That  it 
was  held  is  proved  by  the  united  testimony  of  the 
bishop's  Journal  and  certain  entries  in  the  "  Old  Book." 
The  trustees  of  John  Street  paid  "for  four  yards  of 
green  baize  for  Conference  lis.  4(:?.,"  and  for  "sundry 
expenses  at  the  time  of  Conference  £8  8s.  Also,  for 
keeping  Bishop  Asbury's  horses  £2  os.  llf?.,"  and  "for 
a  bridle,"  lis.  Asbury's  notice  is  brief,  but  sufficient. 
He  says,  Monday,  September  29,  "Rode  to  New  York. 
Next  day  [Tuesday,  30th]  our  Conference  began,  and 
continued  until  Saturday,  the  4th  of  October."  He 
appears  to  have  left  immediately  after  its  close.* 

At  this  Conference  the  city  reported  276  white  mem- 
bers and  54  colored;  in  all  330,  an  increase  of  55.  John 
Dickins  was  re-appointed,  but  without  a  colleague,  and 
Henry  Willis  was  tlie  elder.  Judging  from  charges  in 
the  "  Old  Book,"  Ml-.  Willis  labored  a  great  deal    in 

*  Rev.  Thomas  Morrell,  in  his  unpublished  journal,  says:  "  At  the 
Conference  in  New  York,  in  Octol)er,  1788,  I  was  ordained  a  deacon." 
His  ordination  certificate  is  dated  accordingly.  Wakeley's  Lost 
Chapters,  p.  320. 


102  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

New  York  ;  as  they  paid  him,  December  23,  1788,  for 
quarterage,  etc.,  £8  85,  ^d. ;  aud  again  on  March  21, 
1789,  £6  15s.  6f?.  Garrettson  also,  it  seems,  was  fre- 
quently in  the  city,  as  he  says,  "  My  custom  was  to  go 
around  the  district  evei'y  three  months,  and  then  return 
to  New  York,  where  I  commonly  stayed  about  two 
weeks."  * 

Nothing  of  interest  is  found,  either  in  the  "  Old 
Book  "  or  any  other  record,  in  regard  to  the  Conference 
year  of  1788-89.  At  its  close  the  membership  was  290 
whites  and  70  colored  ;  360  in  all,  an  increase  of  30. 
They  sent  £21  to  the  funds  of  the  Conference,  and  on 
May  21  paid  for  whitewashing,  etc.,  £2  16s.  9f?.,  for 
brushes  9s.,  for  laborers  80s.,  and  for  beer  and  wood 
12s.  and  6c?.,  for  "cleaning  the  church." 

On  Tuesday,  May  26,  1789,  Asbury  and  Coke  reached 
New  York,  and  it  seems,  from  an  entry  in  the  "  Old 
Book,"  that  Whatcoat  was  with  them,  as  they  paid 
for  keejDing  Mr,  Asbury's  and  Mr.  Whatcoat's  horses 
£5  16s.  6f?.  Asbuiy  came  "  under  great  travail  of 
soul  for  a  revival  of  religion."  On  Thursday,  the  28th, 
he  says:  "Conference  began;  all  things  were  con- 
ducted in  peace  and  order.  Our  work  opens  in  New 
York  State  ;  New  England  strttcheth  out  the  hand  to 
our  ministry,  and  I  trust  thousands  will  shortly  feel  its 
influence."  This  last  sentence  refers  to  the  fact  that 
Jesse  Lee  received  at  this  Conference  his  commission 
to  New  England, 

On  Sunday,  the  31st,  Asbury  says  :  "We  had  a  gra- 
cious season  to  preachers  and  people,  while  I  opened 
and  aj^plied  Isa.  xxv,  6-8."  Dr.  Coke  says  of  this  ses- 
sion :  "  A   Conference   like    the    others,  all  peace  and 

*  Life  of  Garrettson,  p.  1T4.  His  district  extended  from  New 
Rochelle  to  Lake  Champlaiu ;  that  of  Willis  included  only  Xew  York 
city  and  Lonj;  Island. 


AxoTHEB  Garner.  103 

concord — glory!  glory  be  to  God!  In  this  city  we 
have  a  great  revival  and  a  great  increase,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  we  are  going  to  build  a  second 
church,"  *  On  Friday,  June  5,  the  Doctor  embarked 
for  Liverpool,  and  in  the  evening  Asbury  says  that 
while  preaching  on  Isa.  xxix,  17-19,  "the  power  of 
God  and  a  baptizing  flame  came  among  the  people." 
Sunday,  the  7th,  he  tells  us,  "  was  a  good  day.  I  felt 
inwardly  quickened  toward  the  close  of  my  morning's 
discourse,  and  the  people  were  moved  ;  in  the  afternoon 
many  were  divinely  drawn,  and  my  own  soul  was 
humbled  and  tilled  with  the  love  of  God.  Several  souls 
have  been  stirred  up  this  Conference ;  I  trust  the  Lord 
will  claim  the  people  of  York  for  his  own."  On  the 
9th  he  left  for  Kingsbridge. 

Asbury,  however,  says  nothing  in  his  Journal  of  an 
event  of  some  interest  Avhich  took  jjlace  at  this  Confer- 
ence. On  the  13th  of  September,  1788,  the  adoption 
of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  had  been  de- 
clared, and  on  April  30,  1789,  AVashington  wns  inaugu- 
rated as  President  in  New  York.  Asbury  suggested 
to  the  Conference  the  jiropriety  of  presenting  a  con- 
gratulatory address  to  the  President.  The  Conference 
unanimously  approved  the  measure,  and  appointed  the 
two  bishops,  Dr.  Coke  and  Mr.  Asbury,  to  draw  up  the 
address.  It  was  finished  that  day  and  adopted  by 
the  Conference,  Dickins  and  Morrell  were  delegated 
to  wait  on  the  president  with  a  copy,  and  request  him 
to  appoint  a  day  and  hour  when  he  would  receive  the 
bishops.  Dr.  Coke,  though  senior  bishop,  not  being  an 
American  citizen,  the  duty  of  reading  the  address  de- 
volved on  Asbury.  In  a  few  days  the  address  and 
answer  were  published  in  the  papers,  and  the  next  week 
there  appeared  a  number  of  questions.     Who  was  Dr. 

*  Stevens's  Histcrnj  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  ii,  p.  282. 


104  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

Coke  ?  How  came  he  to  be  bishop  ?  Who  consecrated 
him?  etc.  The  impropriety  of  a  British  subject  signing 
such  an  address  was  also  urged,  and  heavy  charges 
were  made  against  Coke  as  an  enemy  of  American  in- 
dependence. "  Some  of  the  ministers  and  members  of  the 
other  Churches  appeared  dissatisfied  that  the  Methodists 
should  take  the  lead  in  recognizing  the  new  republic. 
In  a  few  days  the  other  denominations  successively  fol- 
lowed our  examjjie."  *  The  public  prints  soon  laid 
aside  their  spirit  of  unfair  criticism.  The  JVew  York 
Packet  of  June  25,  1789,  after  giving  some  statistics 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  says:  "From 
the  respectful  and  affectionate  address  of  the  bishojjs 
of  this  new  and  growing  Church  to  the  President  of 
the  United  States,  as  well  as  from  other  documents, 
it  appears  that  the  whole  Society  are  warmly  attached 
to  the  Constitution  and  government  of  the  United 
States."  t 

The  nppointments  in  the  Minutes  of  1789  for  New 
York  are,  Robert  Cloud,  John  Merrick,  William  Phoe- 
bus.J  The  Minutes  for  this  year  are  the  first  in  which 
we  read  the  title  "presiding  elder," §  Freeborn  Gar- 
rettson  holding  that  office,  and  Thomas  Morrell's  name 
following  as  elder.  This  last  appointment  seems  to 
have  been  made  for  a  special  pur[)Ose.  Dr.  Coke, 
as  we  have  seen,  speaks  of  the   building  of  a  second 

*  Letter  of  Thomas  Morrell,  Bangs's  History  of  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  vol.  i,  p.  280. 

f  See  Appendix  M. 

:}:  Each  for  four  months;  but  this  provision  for  a  change  seems  to 
have  been  intended  to  apply  only  to  Merrick  and  Phc]eb;is;  Merrick's 
name  being  also  found  in  connection  with  Elizabethtow.n,  and  that 
of  Phoebus  with  Long  Island ;  but  Cloud's  nowhere  else  but  Xew 
York. 

§  It  is  dropped,  however,  next  year,  and  until  1797  we  find  merely 
"elder." 


Another  Garner.  105 

cnnrch,  and  among  Morreirs  papers  is  found  the  fol- 
lowing : 

Thomas  Morrell  is  appointed  and  ordered  by  ihe "bishops  and  Con- 
ference to  raise  a  subscriplioii  in  the  city  of  New  York,  in  order  to 
erect  a  new  church  on  a  convenient  spot,  at  tlie  nortli  or  north-east 
part  of  tlie  ciiy ;  and  shall  call  to  his  assistance  any  person  or  per- 
sons recommended  by  the  bisliops  or  Conference  ;  or,  in  their  absence, 
any  person  he  shall  judge  proper  for  his  assistance.  The  bishops  and 
Conference  do  also  order  that  all  subscriptions  and  collections  that 
shall  be  raised  from  time  to  time  in  the  new  cluircli,  when  erected, 
shall  be  applied  for  the  benefit,  support,  and  interests  of  the  new 
church  ;  and  they  do  also  give  Thomas  Morrell  authority  to  appoint 
trustees  for  the  said  new  church.*  Thomas  Coke. 

Francis  Asbury. 

New  York,  May  20,  1789.f 

Thomas  Morrell,  whose  name  now  first  appears  in 
connection  with  New  York,  must  find  notice  here. 
He  was  the  son  of  Jonathan  Morrell,  and  was  born  in 
New  York  city,  November  22,  1747.  His  mother  had 
been  converted  about  1760,  and,  when  Embury  began 
his  labors,  was  among  the  first  to  join  the  society.  In  the 
Revolutionary  War  he  was  a  useful  officer  of  the  army. 
Converted  in  March,  1786,  in  the  same  month  of  the 
following  year  he  began  his  itinerant  life.  AVith  the 
exception  of  one  year  he  continued  in  the  work  until 
February,  1804,  when  he  located  at  Elizabethtown, 
N.  J.,  where  he  died  August  9,  1838.  His  funeral  ser- 
mon was  preacned  by  his  friend,  Dr.  Nicholas  Murray, 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  Elizabeth.     He  was 

*  From  these  words  it  is  evident  that  the  bishops  and  Conference 
intended  the  new  congregation  to  be  independent  of  the  older,  as  to 
its  finances.  How  and  why  this  idea  was  not  carried  out  might  be 
an  interesting  matter  of  investigation,  if  any  material  could  be  dis- 
covered. 

f  Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  246.  Either  the  date,  however,  is  an 
error  for  May  29  or  30,  or  the  bishops  anticipated  tlie  action  of  the 
Conference,  as  tlie  session  did  not  begin  until  May  28. 


106  A  riisTOKY  OF  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

an  ardent  patriot,  a  devoted  Christian,  and  a  successful 
minister  of  Christ.  Some  of  the  entries  in  the  "  Okl 
Book,"  at  about  the  date  of  which  we  are  now  Avriting, 
and  some  okl  records  of  membership  kept  during  his 
present  term  of  service  and  that  of  1802  and  1803,  are 
in  his  peculiarl}^  small  neat  hand.* 

Of  Robert  Cloud  we  can  learn  but  little.  His  name 
first  appears  in  the  Minutes  of  1785.  After  laboring 
several  years  in  the  States  of  New  Jersey  and  New 
York,  he  located  in  1794,  and  afterward  went  West,  and 
finally  located  while  a  member  of  the  Ohio  Conference 
in  1812. f  It  is  said  that  on  one  occasion  when  he 
"  was  preaching  there  was  a  great  stir  among  the  peo- 
ple, and  many  cried  aloud  for  merc}^"  John  B.  Mat- 
thias, afterward  of  the  New  York  Conference,  was 
convicted  at  that  time.  J 

John  Merrick  entered  the  traveling  connection  in 
1786,  and  continued  in  the  work  eleven  years,  locating 
in  1797.  We  are  told  that  he  was  a  superior  preacher, 
and  very  useful. § 

William  Phoebus,  however,  became  very  closely 
identified  with  New  York  Methodism.  Born  in  Som- 
erset County,  Md.,  in  1754,  he  entered  the  ministry  in 
1783,  and  was  present  at  the  Christmas  Conference.  In 
1792  he  located,  and  occupied  for  a  time  a  house  belong- 

*  Among  the  names  of  those  read  in  by  Thomas  Morrell,  June  21, 
1789,  are  those  of  William  Elsworth,  John  Tunis,  and  Daniel  Car- 
penter; on  November  8,  William  Fosbrook  and  Jonathan  Patterson; 
on  June  27,  1790,  William  Whilefield  and  John  Midwinter  (grand- 
father of  Rev.  James  M.  Freeman,  D.D.);  on  July  18,  Samuel  Bon- 
sall,  Nicholas  Morris,  Samuel  Wallagrove ;  on  September  5.  Gilbert 
Coutant,  Barnet  Mattliias  (Rev.  J.  B.  Matthias),  William  Tillou, 
Susanna  Lamplin.     Book  i.  A,  pp.  81,  82. 

f  For  some  mysterious  things  about  Robert  Cloud,  see  Warriner'3 
Old  Sirnd-s  Street,  p.  85. 

J  Sacred  Memories,  p.  12. 

§  Wakeley's  Lost  ChOjjpters,  p.  326. 


Another  Garner.  107 

ing  to  the  chui-ch,  No.  30  John  Street,  as  we  find  by 
the  Directory  of  1794,  His  rent,  as  we  learn  from  the 
"Old  Book,"  was  forty-five  pounds  a  year.  In  1796-97 
he  was  again  in  the  work  on  Long  Ishmd,  but  in  1798 
he  located  a  second  time,  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
medicine,  generally  pi-eaching,  however,  every  Sabbath. 
In  1806-7  he  was  in  the  itinerancy  again,  being  stationed 
at  Albany,  and  in  1808  at  Charleston,  S.  C.  In  1809 
we  find  him  on  Long  Island,  and  in  1810  at  Troy,  In 
1811  he  is  in  New  York  again,  and  also  in  1814-15. 
In  1818  he  served  the  colored  congregations  in  Zion 
and  Asbury  Churches,  In  1819-20  he  was  Conference 
missionary,  in  1821  became  superiuimerary,  and  in  1824 
superannuated.  In  this  relation  he  continued  until  his 
death  in  New  York,  November  9,  ]831,  in  his  seventy- 
eighth  year.  Though  a  man  of  much  ability,  and  well 
informed,  and  often  impressive  in  his  sermons,  he  was 
not  a  popular  preacher.  One  reason  of  this,  Dr.  Bangs 
tells  us,  "  was  that  in  his  public  discourses,  as  well  as 
his  private  conversation,  he  was  much  given  to  enig- 
matical expressions  which  the  mass  of  his  hearers  did 
not  comprehend.  A  striking  instance  of  this  I  remem- 
ber occurred  in  the  Conference  of  1823.  In  addressing 
his  brethren  on  the  improbability  of  his  being  able  to 
serve  the  church  much  longer,  he  remarked  that  the 
lease  of  his  house  had  expired,  and  therefore  he  could 
not  tell  how  soon  he  might  be  called  to  remove,  as  he 
was  not  certain  that  he  could  procure  a  renewal  of  his 
lease  for  any  particular  length  of  time,  hence  he  could 
not  pledge  himself  for  any  special  service  in  the  minis- 
tiy.  On  hearing  this,  an  aged  minister,  by  no  means 
deficient  in  s.igacity,  remarked  to  me,  '  I  thought  the 
doctor  owned  the  house  in  which  he  lives;  but  it  seems 
I  was  under  a  mistake,  as  he  says  that  the  time  of  his 
lease  has  run  out ! '     To  .  this  I  replied,  '  You  do  not 


108  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

understand  him.  He  speaks  in  parables.  He  is  now 
threescore  years  and  ten,  ahnost  the  greatest  age  God 
lias  allotted  to  man,  and  therefore  cannot  calculate  on 
living  much  longer  at  most ;  and  even  that  little  time 
must  be  cimsidered  a  matter  of  grace!  '  To  this  expla- 
nation he  himself  subsequently  assented."  "  His  rever- 
ence for  the  name  and  cliaracter  of  Christ,  at  least  his 
manner  of  expressing  it,  was  very  unusual.  When  he 
had  occasion  to  speak  of  the  Saviour  in  conversation 
he  would  gently  incline  his  head,  or,  if  his  head  were 
covered,  lift  his  hat,  always  using  the  qualifying  word 
adorable^  as  the  adorable  Saviour,  the  adorable  Jesusy  * 
He  began  the  publication  of  a  Methodist  magazine, 
but  it  was  short-lived.  He  was  buried  in  tlie  old  Meth- 
odist cemetery  in  First  Street,  whence  his  remains  were 
afterward  removed  to  Cypress  Hills,  L.  I.f 

Here,  perhaps,  it  may  be  well  to  call  attention  to  the 
fact  that  the  Conferences  at  that  period  were  not  always 
lield  at  the  same  season  of  the  year.  That  of  1789,  for 
instance,  was  in  May,  while  that  of  1790  did  not  meet 
until  October.  This  variation  was  probably  necessary 
because  Bishop  Asbury's  duties  would  not  permit  any 
other  arrangement. 

In  the  "  Old  Book,"  in  October  and  Xovember,  1789, 
are  charges  amounting  to  £9  for  paving  the  street,  and 
in  December  a  rather  larger  sum  for  altering  stoops, 
and  mason-work  for  the  yard  and  street.  This  seems 
to  indicate  that  the  grading,  already  referred  to,  was 
done  at  this  time.  Black  Harry  was  in  the  city  in  the 
s])ring  of  1790,  as  we  find  on  April  12  and  May  19 
charges  for  his  horse-keeping.  A  good  work  seems  to 
have  been  going  on,  as  Asbury,  while  in  Charleston,  says 

*  Dr.  N.  Bangs,  in  Sprague's  Annals  of  the  Methodist  Pulpit,  p.  89. 
f  Sprague's  Annals  of  the  Methodist  Pulpit;  "Warriner's   Old  Sands 
Street  Church. 


Another  Garxer.  109 

in  liis  Journal  (February  10,  1790):  " I  received  good 
news  from  Baltimore  and  New  York;  about  two  hundred 
souls  have  been  brought  to  God  within  a  few  weeks."  * 
The  most  important  event  in  the  history  of  New 
York  Methodism  this  year  was  the  buikling  of  a  sec- 
ond cliureh.  We  have  seen  that  Thomas  Morrell  was 
*'  appointed  and  ordered  "  by  .the  bishops  and  Confer- 
ence to  undertake  this  work.  In  entering  upon  it,  how- 
ever, he  met  with  such  serious  opposition  that  he  wrote 
to  Bishop  Asbury  for  counsel.     The  bishop  replied  : 

My  Yert  Dear  Brother  :  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  give  any  de- 
cided advice  in  tlie  critical  circumstances  of  your  case,  and  the  fickle 
tempers  you  have  to  deal  witli,  that  may  tack  and  change  more  fre- 
quently than  the  wind.  In  brief,  I  advise  you  to  do  the  best  you  can, 
but  build  the  house.  I  will  cancel  your  obligation  to  the  Conference 
and  myself.  I  wish  you  to  be  under  no  shackles  on  our  side.  I 
would  not  have  you  outdone.  I  think  those  who  trouble  you  will 
soon  be  cut  off,  etc.     You  will  take  my  few  hints,  etc. 

I  am,  with  great  respect,  thine,  Francis  Asbury. 

Another  letter,  dated  Rhinebeck,  June  19,  says  : 

My  Dear  Brother:  If  you  can  only  erect  and  cover,  with  seats, 
windows,  and  doors,  ihe  new  church  by  the  1st  of  December,  all  will 
be  well,  I  hope.  0,  brother,  piety,  patience,  courage,  zeal,  and  indus- 
try will  carry  you  through.  I  am  in  faith,  hope,  and  prayer  that 
God  will  revive  his  work  in  York.  Do,  brother,  strive  and  reform 
the  siug'ng  a  little  in  our  Church.f 

I  am  thine,  in  much  esteem,  Francis  Asbury.J 

Dr.  Coke,  also,  on  his  voyage  to  Europe,  has  the  new 
enterprise  at  heart.     He  writes: 

On  Board  the  Ukion,  near  Ireland,  June  6,  1789. 

My  Yery  Dear  Brother:  I  beg  your  pardon  for  my  great  for- 
getfnlness  in  not  leaving  behind  an  address  ia  behalf  of  the  new 
churcli  we  are  going  to  build  in  New  York.  I  hope  you  will  be  able 
to  accomplish  that  important  undertaking.  .  .  . 

Your  faithful  friend,  Thomas  Coke.J 

*  See  note,  p.  113. 

f  The  bishop  himself  was  a  good  singer,  and  wanted  improvement 
in  that  respect.  %  Wakeley'a  Lost  Chapters,  pp.  347,  355. 


110  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  Xew  York  City. 

Morrell  persevered,  in  spite  of  all  difficulties,  and 
Bishop  Asbury  writes  to  him,  under  date  of  October  3, 
1789: 

My  Dear  Brother  :  I  am  pleased  you  have  made  out  so  wonder- 
fully. I  can  figure  m  my  own  mind  the  difSeulties  you  have  had  to 
stnio:gle  with.  The  hints  you  gave  are  very  just  as  to  tlie  manage- 
ment of  temporalities.  The  members  are  welcome  to  act,  but  who 
are  to  appoint  them  ?  is  the  question.  I  find  it  hard  if  a  preacher 
cannot  draw  a  collection  for  a  mission  or  Conference  or  station  with- 
out complaint.  I  have  nothing  at  all  to  complain  of,  and  it  would 
have  been  impossible  to  have  carried  your  great  design  into  execu- 
tion without  your  method.  .  .  . 

I  am,  with  great  respect,  tiiine,  Francis  Asbury.* 

The  location  selected  for  the  new  building  was  in 
Second  (now  Forsyth)  Street,  near  Division  Street,  f 
The  property  was  originally  part  of  the  estate  of 
James  Delancey,  Esq.,  a  loyalist,  and  was  forfeited  and 
vested  in  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York  by  the 
attainder  of  said  Delancey,  and  was  conveyed  to  Gef)rge 
Workheart  by  Isaac  Stoutenburgh  and  Philip  Van 
Cortland,  Esq.,  Commissioners  of  Forfeitures  for  the 
Southern  District  of  the  State.  "  An  act  for  the  speedy 
sale  of  the  confiscated  and  forfeited  estates  within  the 
State"  had  been  passed  May  12,  1784,  and  four  months 
afterward  Mr.  Workheart  purchased  the  lots  for  one 
hundred  and  thirty-one  pounds  and  ten  shillings.  He  kept 
them  about  five  years,  and  then  sold  them  for  two  hun- 
dred and  eigliteen  pounds  and  a  half  more  than  he  gave. 
Some  good  speculations  in  real  estate  were  made,  it 
seems,  one  hundred  years  ago. 

The  deed  to  the  church  is  dated  August  17,  1789. 

*  "Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  355. 

f  The  present  church  in  Second  Street  is  not  to  be  confounded 
with  this.  That  was  built  more  than  forty  years  after.  Old  Forsyth 
Street  was  also  sometimes  called  the  Bowery  Church.  Bowery  Til- 
lage, now  Seventh  Street,  is  another  and  later  organization. 


AxoTEiEu  Garner.  Ill 

Seven  lots  were  sold  by  George  Workheart,  gardener, 
and  Eve,  his  wife,  for  three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 
Eve,  in  signing  it,  had  to  make  her  mark,  not  being- 
able  to  write  her  name.*  John  Sproson  and  Samuel 
Stilwell,  trustees  of  John  Street  Church,  were  wit- 
nesses, f 

On  August  11,  1789,  the  first  stone  of  the  foundation 
was  laid,  and  the  building  was  inclosed,  floored,  and 
ceiled  by  November  8,  when  it  was  dedicated,  though 
probably  not  yet  finished.  Thus,  we  see,  Thomas  Mor- 
rell  had  met  the  bishop's  expectation,  who  fixed  Decem- 
ber 1  as  the  date  of  completion.  Mr.  Morrell  preached 
on  1  Pet.  ii,  5.  J 

The  "  Old  Book "  does  not  cast  much  light  on  the 
finances  of  the  new  church,  though  we  have  an  entry 
on  January  12,  1791,  "To  cash  advanced  for  new  church 
last  year,  £100,"  and  there  are  some  other  charges 
either  explicitly  or  probably  for  the  same  purpose;  some 
of  them,  however,  may  have  been  for  current  exj^enses. 
But  in  another  old  book  §  there  is,  apparently  in  Mr. 
Morrell's  handwriting,  an  account  of  money  received 
and  paid  out  by  him  for  the  new  church.  It  begins 
July  27,  1789,  and  ends  July  12,  1790.  It  is  in  reality 
only  an  account  of  payments,  no  account   of  receipts 

*  What  a  pity  that  the  gardener  had  not  been  named  Adam  1  The 
title  would  then  have  come  from  Adam  and  Eve. 

f  Mr.  Workheart  united  with  the  churcli  in  1792,  and  was  a  mem- 
ber as  late  as  1796.  "We  have  no  evidence  that  his  wife  ever  joined. 
She  died  in  October,  1793,  and  was  buried  in  the  church  ground,  tlie 
grave  being  a  gift  from  the  church.  (See  record  of  burials  in  tlie 
possession  of  tlie  trustees  of  Forsyth  Street  Church.)  Dr.  Wakeley 
gives  the  date  as  1795,  and  says  she  was  seventy  years  of  age,  and 
that  her  tombstone  was  riaht  behind  the  church. 

I  Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  pp.  353,  354.  Mr.  W.  gives  a  sketch 
of  tlie  discourse. 

§  Marked  Bock  ii.     See  preface,  p.  vii. 


112  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

being  given,  and  the  entries  nearly  all  read,  "  Cash  paid 
Henry  Newton."  They  amount  to  £872  8s.  2(7.  Mr. 
Morrell  lent  £150.  The  total  cost  was  probably 
$2,500. 

The  building  was  of  rough  stone,  covered  with  blue 
stucco;  its  dimensions  fifty  by  seventy  feet.  A  low 
stoop  of  not  more  than  two  or  three  steps  gave  en- 
trance to  each  door.*  It  stood  some  ten  or  fifteen  feet 
back  from  the  street,  with  a  door-yard  in  front  inclosed 
with  wooden  pickets.  There  were  end  and  side  gal- 
leries. The  ceiling  was  flat.  The  pulpit  was  high, 
Avith  steps  on  the  south  side  and  a  sounding-board  over 
it.  In  the  rear  was  a  buiying-ground,  wliich  at  length 
became  filled,  and  on  the  rebuilding  of  the  church  in 
183;j  the  bodies  were  removed.  A  two-story  frame 
edifice  was  afterward  erected  on  the  opposite  side  of 
Forsyth  Street,  which  was  used  as  a  lecture-room  and 
Sunday-school  room,  and  also  for  the  charity  day-school, 
which  the  Methodists  maintained  for  many  years.  The 
Asbury  library  was  also  kept  in  this  building.  Some 
idea  of  the  aspect  of  the  neighborhood  at  the  time  is 
furnished  by  the  following  extract.  Kev.  William 
Thacher  says :  "  During  the  first  year  of  my  residence 
in  New  York  I  saw  in  the  fields  eastward  from  the  city 
a  new  stone  church  in  the  progress  of  building.  What ! 
a  place  of  worship  so  far  from  inhabitants  ?  For 
what  denomination  can  this  be  ?  A  house  of  God  far 
from  home  seemed  hardly  compatible  with  due  honor 
to  him  who  })romised  to  dwell  in  the  midst  of  his 
people.  Ah!  little  did  I  then  think  this  is  a  Methodist 
sanctuary,  and  that  this  Avas  a  sample  of  their  pioneer 
plan,  to  build  a  house  and  then  invite  sinners  to  come 

*  Externally  tliis  and  Dunne  and  Allen  Streets  were  much  alike. 
Tliey  all  also  had  cellars,  which,  for  a  time  at  least,  were  used  for 
the  storao^e  of  ale,  etc. 


AxOTHER    GaKNEE.  113 

there  and  get  their  souls  converted.  And  what  prophet 
coukl  then  have  made  me  believe  that,  in  the  midst  of  a 
dense  population,  I  should  ever  fill  the  office  of  a  regular 
authorized  minister  in  the  pastoral  charge  of  an  assem- 
bly of  Methodists  of  that  same  Methodist  meeting-house 
in  Forsyth  Street."  *  When,  on  October  3, 1 790,  Asbury 
occupied  the  pulpit,  he  pronounced  the  new  church 
"  commodious,  elegant,  yet  plain." 

A  good  work  soon  followed  the  completion  of  the 
new  building.  Thomas  Morrell,  in  Ids  unpublished 
Journal,  says  :  "  On  the  4th  of  this  month"  (January, 
1790)  "a  revival  began  at  the  prayer-meetings,  and  on 
the  12th  it  broke  out  in  the  church  and  continued,  with 
some  small  intei'missions,  until  the  latter  end  of  Febru- 
ary. In  this  time  about  two  hundred  joined  the  society; 
perhaps  about  four  hundred  were  converted  in  eight 
weeks."  f 

*  Wakeley's  Lod  Chapters^  p.  359. 

\  Ibid.,  p.  367.  In  Book  i,  A,  p.  50,  Morrell  gives  us  a' record 
of  some  events  about  this  period.  He  says:  "4tli  January,  1790, 
Monday  evening,  at  prayer-meeting,  4  found  peace,  4  renewed  in 
love.  Tnesday,  5tli,  2  found  the  Lord,  1  sanctified.  Thursday,  6th 
[should  be  7th],  3  found  peacfe.  Friday,  8  converted.  Saturday,  2  con- 
verted. This  Vi'eek,  20  converted,  14  renewed  in  love.  Sunday,  1  re- 
newed, 4  found  the  Lord.  Monday,  11th,  at  a  class,  3  converted,  1 
sanctified;  same  evening,  10  converted  at  a  prayer-meeting,  2  at  an- 
other, 3  at  another,  2  at  another,  making  20  on  this  evening.  Tiies- 
daj',  12th,  after  preaching,  a  great  cry,  many  souls  were  converted — 
perhaps  from  20  to  40.  "Wednesday  niglit,  after  prayer-meeting,  the 
people  stayed ;  the  mourners  were  sought  for,  prayed  with,  and  ex- 
liorted;  the  number  converted  uncertain;  7  children  found  the  Lord, 
and  a  number  of  men  and  women ;  one  Mr.  Lawrence,  a  gay  youth, 
was  convinced  and  converted;  not  less  than  15  found  the  Lord. 
Persecution  rages;  tiie  people  say  we  are  going  mad  and  threaten  to 
complain  to  ye  [tlie]  magistrates  for  our  breaking  the  peace.  This 
meeting  lasted  five  hours;  some  suppose  40  were  converted  this  even- 
ing.    Friday  evening,  no  remarkable  slir.     Sunday,  17th,  the  work 


114  A  History  op  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

Tlie  increased  labor  resulting  from  this  work  led  to  a 
throat  trouble,  which  prevented  Mr.  Morrell  from  preach- 
ing sometimes;  but  he  says,  "Brother  Brush  providen- 
tially came  to  this  city  this  month."  * 

broke  out  in  the  afternoou — a  cry  through  the  congregation ;  a  num- 
ber converted ;  cannot  ascertain  the  number. 

"  Tuesday  evening,  a  solemn  niglit,  some  converted.  Wednesday, 
20tli,  after  the  meeting  was  dismissed,  1  soul  cried  out.  Tliey  began 
praying  with  her.  A  number  afterward  were  found  in  distress ;  prayer 
was  made  and  many  believed  and  entered  into  rest.  Sunday,  nothing. 
Monday,  25th,  evening,  4  found  the  Lord.  Tuesday,  26th,  and 
Wednesdaj"-,  27th,  nothing  remarkable.  Thursday,  28th,  powerful 
time  at  love-feast,  believers  filled  with  joy,  9  or  10  found  peace.  In 
the  month  of  February  we  had  three  powerful  times  on  the  Sabbath 
evenings,  at  which  meetings,  as  near  as  we  can  judge,  about  40  were 
converted.  Marcli  4,  at  love-feast,  a  happy  time  to  most  believers. 
Seventy-six  joined  in  January,  62  in  February."  Thus  we  have  a 
glimpse  of  two  months  of  that  winter.  "Would  that  we  could  find 
otlier  records  of  a  similar  kind  I  This  accounts  for  the  increase  of  264 
in  the  report  at  the  next  Conference. 

*  Mr.  Brush  was  born  on  Long  Island  and  spent  about  ten  years  in 
the  ministry.  His  name  first  appears  in  the  Minutes  of  1785,  in  con- 
nection with  Trenton,  N.  J.  Wlien  he  came  tn  New  York  he  had 
been  assisting  Lee  in  Connecticut,  and  at  the  Conference  of  1790  was 
appointed  to  New  Rochelle,  to  wliich  he  returned  in  1791.  In  1792 
and  1793  he  was  elder  over  Long  Island  and  otlier  portions  of  New 
York  State  and  Connecticut,  and  in  1794  a  supernumerary  in  'Sew 
York  city.  He  died  there  of  yellow  fever  September  25,  1795,  and 
was  buried  in  the  ground  in  the  rear  of  Forsyth  Street  Church.  In 
the  Directory  of  1795  liis  residence  is  given  as  at  Mr.  Courtney'3 
ship-yards,  Cherry  Street,  and  it  is  probable  he  died  there.  The  Min- 
utes say,  "  He  was  an  active  man  cl  God,  and  a  great  friend  to  order 
and  union."  From  May  13  to  November  23,  1790,  several  payments 
to  him  are  recorded  In  the  "  Old  Book."  AYakeley's  Lost  Cliapttrs, 
p.  368 ;  "Warriner's  Old  Sands  Street, 


The  Shoutixg  of  the  Reapers.  115 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  SHOUTIXG  OF  THE  REAPERS— COXFERENCB  OF  1790 
TO  1793. 

The  Conference  of  1790  began  on  Monday,  October 
4,  in  tlie  city.  It  cost  the  Chnrch  £26  65.  8d.,  for  keep- 
ing the  preachers'  horses.  The  members  numbered  522 
■whites  and  102  colored,  in  all  624 — again  of  264.  As- 
bury  says  of  the  Conference,  "All  was  peace,  order,  and 
unanimity."  Benjamin  Abbott  also  says,  "  Our  Con- 
ference went  on  from  day  to  day  in  brotherly  love  and 
unity;  there  was  preaching  by  one  or  another  every 
night.  I  was  sitting  one  day  in  the  kitchen,  where  I 
put  up,  smoking  my  pipe,  being  tired  of  confinement  in 
Conference  so  long"  (yet  the  session  did  not  last  four 
days),  "and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  me  in  a 
miraculous,  powerful  manner,  so  that  I  was  fully  con- 
vinced that  something  great  would  be  done  at  the  Confer- 
ence. Next  day  Bishop  Asbury  opened  the  love-feast; 
then  Brother  Whatcoat  spoke;  and  when  he  had  done  I 
arose  and  told  them  my  experience;  the  people  gave 
great  attention,  aiid  when  I  came  to  the  account  of  ni}^ 
sanctitication  down  dro])ped  one  of  the  preachers,  and 
did  not  rise  until  the  Lord  sanctified  his  soul.  I  then 
claimed  the  promises,  and  in  a  moment  the  house  was 
filled  with  cries  and  screeches  and  wondei'f  ul  shouts ! 
Several  went  among  the  people,  to  those  whom  they 
found  in  distress,  to  admonish,  exhort,  and  pray  with 
them.  Afterward  six  told  me  that  God  had  sanctified 
them,  and  I   think  seven  that   God  had  justified  them. 


116  A  History  of  Methodism  in"  Neav  York  City. 

Three  had  to  be  carried  home  that  evening,  who  were 
not  able  to  go  of  themselves."  * 

Next  May,  when  Abbott  was  on  the  way  to  Conference, 
he  traveled  in  company  with  Garrettson  and  other 
preachers.  As  they  passed  along  they  held  religious 
services  at  different  places;  but  Abbott  observed  he  was 
not  called  upon  either  to  preach,  pra}^,  or  exhort.  He 
found  there  was  a  difference  of  sentiment  about  the  love- 
feast  at  the  last  Conference.  After  Conference  opened, 
all  went  on  very  lovingl^^  until  the  appointment  of  a  love- 
feast  was  discussed.  "  It  was  brought  on  the  carpet,"  says 
Abbott,  "  by  Brother  R.  Cloud.  ...  He  said  that  I  hal- 
looed and  bawled,  and  cried  '  Fire!  Fire  ! '  and  scared  the 
people.  Then  Brother  G.  [Garrettson]  got  up  and  sec- 
onded him,  and  opposed  the  work  with  all  the  powers  he 
had;  Brother  J.  Lee  said  he  was  happy  in  the  love-feast. 
The  bishop  said  he  did  not  want  to  hear  them  '  halloo  and 
shout  and  bawl;'  but  he  wanted  to  hear  them  speak  their 
experiences.  I  said, '  Then,  perhaps  I  had  better  not  go  to 
the  love-feast.'  I  was  not  in  the  least  angry;  but  I  was 
grieved  in  soul  for  the  cause.  Our  appointment  was  up 
at  the  new  meeting-house,  and  abundance  of  people 
gathered.  The  bishop  opened  the  love-feast,  and  when 
the  bread  and  water  had  gone  round,  and  the  people 
were  at  liberty  to  speak,  not  one  spoke  for  some  time. 
Then  Brother  Garrettson  got  up  and  exhorted  the  peo- 
ple, and  then  Brother  Cloud  exhorted  them  likewise, 
but  all  to  no  purpose.  Among  the  several  hundreds  pres- 
ent, there  wei"e  but  few  that  spoke.  For  my  part,  I 
kept  silence  under  much  depression  of  mind,  not  feeling 
much  faith  or  liberty  of  spirit.  After  some  exhortations 
the  meeting  broke  up.  Many  of  the  friends  afterward 
told  me  they  felt  death  in  their  souls,  and  came  to  me 
to  know  what  was  the  matter.  I  told  them  simply  that 
*  Experience  of  B.  Abbott,  p.  1C3. 


The  Shouting  of  the  Reapers.  117 

Brotlier  Cloud  had  said  that  tliere  w^as  no  good  done  at 
the  last  Conference  love-feast;  but  there  were,  to  the 
best  of  my  recollection,  six  who  told  rae  that  they  were 
sanctified,  and  seven  that  they  were  justified,  at  that  love- 
feast.  Brother3Iorrell  said  that  this  last  love-feast  was 
the  most  dead  and  lifeless  love-feast  that  ever  had  been  in 
York  before,  I  understood  that  the  preachers,in  discours- 
ing together,  acknowledged  that  they  had  been  wrong  in 
what  they  had  done  and  said  on  the  subject."*  It  is  vvor- 
tliy  of  notice  that,  notwithstanding  this  difference  of 
opinion,  they  were  able  to  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in 
the  "bond  of  peace;"  for  Asbury  writes  in  his  Journal 
(May  30,  1791),  "  Not  a  frown,  a. sign  of  sour  temper,  or 
an  unkind  word  was  seen  or  heard  among  us."  They 
had,  it  seems,  a  good  feast  of  love,  after  all. 

But  we  must  return  to  the  Conference  of  1790. 
Thomas  Morrell  was  continued  as  elder,  and  Robert 
Cloud  and  William  Jessop  were  the  stationed  preachers. 
Mr.  Jessop  came  to  the  city  in  feeble  health,  for  we  find 
a  i'ew  weeks  after  the  Conference  a  charge  in  the  "Old 
Book,"  October  26,  "  Cash  paid  for  Mr.  Jessop's  sickness, 
wine,  porter,  etc.,  £2  8s."  Again,  November  8,  "  Paid 
Judah  for  nursing  Mr.  Jessop,  £2."  In  the  following 
January  also  bills  for  medical  attendance  were  paid 
amounting  to  £6  85.  Mr.  Jessop  was  born  in  the  State 
of  Delaware,  and  entered  the  traveling  connection  in 
1784.  Though  of  feeble  constitution,  he  labored  much 
and  successfully.  After  leaving  New  York  he  went  to 
Nova  Scotia,  but  returned  to  the  United  States,  and 
died  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  the  latter  end  of  the 
year  1795.  lie  was  buried  in  the  ground  connected 
with  Boehra's  Chapel,  and  Rev.  Henry  Boehra  was  a 
bearer  at  his  funeral.  Asbury,  in  his  funeral  sermon, 
preached  July  25,  1796,  describes  him  as  a  "man  well 
*  Experience  of  B.  Ahbotf,  p.  IT 7. 


118  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

known  and  much  beloved,  .  .  .  always  solemn,"  and 
says,  "Few  such  holy,  steady  men  have  been  found 
among  us."* 

The  Conference  of  1790  met  October  4;  that  of  1791 
on  May  26,  giving  an  interval  of  only  about  seven  months 
and  three-quarters.  At  this  session,  at  the  urgent  re- 
quest of  pi'eachers  and  peojile,  the  bishop  preached  a 
sermon  on  the  occasion  of  Mr.  Wesley's  death.  This 
he  did  at  the  new  church  in  the  morning,  and  at  the 
old  in  the  afternoon,  taking  for  his  text,  2  Tim.  iii, 
10,  ll.f 

The  general  good  feeling  that  prevailed  at  the  Con- 
ference seems  to  have  been  somewhat  disturbed  by  a 
visit  from  Mr.  Ilamraett,  of  Charleston,  afterward  leader 
of  a  secession  in  that  city.  He  preached  during  the 
Conference  at  both  the  churches,  but  Asbury  tells  us  his 
"  preaching  was  not  well  received."  After  Conference 
the  bishop  started  on  a  tour  through  New  England,  re- 
turning to  the  city  on  August  29.  He  writes  then,  "  The 
weather  is  warm,  and  here  is  an  awful  season  of  afflic- 
tion." The  yellow  fever  was  prevailing.  He  preached 
in  the  new  church  on  Heb.  v,  12,  and  says,  "  We  had  an 
acceptable  time  and  some  gracious  movings."  Again,  on 
AVednesday,  the  31st,he  writes,  "We  had  a  serious  heart- 
affecting  time;  many  were  ready  to  break  out  into  praises 
to  God.  I  respect  the  kindness  of  the  dear  peoj^le  here, 
and  leave  New  York  in  faith  that  the  Lord  will  return  to 
visit  them. "J  On  Friday,  September  2,  he  preached  in 
the  new  chapel  on  Jer.  li,  50:  "  Ye  that  have  escaped  the 
sword,  go  away,  stand  not  still:  remember  the  Lord  afar 

*  "Wakeley's  Lost  Chaptt^rs,  p.  364. 

f  Nearly  thirty  years  after  the  bishop's  own  funeral  sermon  was 
preached  from  the  same  text  by  Rev.  P].  Cooper. 

\  The}'  had  given  him  a  substantial  proof  of  their  kindness  in  a  new 
suit  of  clothes,  surtout,  boots,  hats,  etc.,  which  cost  £22  10s.  Zd.,  be- 
sides two  pounds  in  cash. 


The  Shouting  of  the  Reapers.  119 

off,  and  let  Jerusalem  come  into  your  mind,"  and  in  a 
few  days  was  on  his  way  to  the  South. 

The  number  of  members  reported  this  year  (1791) 
was,  whites,  524;  colored,  112;  total  636 — an  increase  of 
12.  R.  Whatcoat,  T.  Morrell,  and  James  Mann,  were 
appointed  to  the  city,  with  R.  Cloud  as  elder.  The  ap- 
pointment of  Morrell,  however,  seems  to  have  been  only 
nominal ;  he  was  about  to  accompany  Asbury  on  his 
journey.  He  writes  in  his  Journal:  "  On  Tuesday  even- 
ing, November  1,  1791,  I  preached  ray  fai-ewell  sermon 
from  Gen.  xlii,  36,  'AH  these  things  are  against  me,' 
to  a  crowded  house."  What  significance  there  was  in 
the  text  we  cannot  tell ;  perhaps  he  referred  to  the  strug- 
gle he  had  in  building  the  new  church.*  They  gave 
him  a  new  hat,  costing  £2  16s.  He  says:  "I  have  now 
been  in  New  York  two  years  and  five  months.  When 
I  first  went  to  that  city  there  were  about  three  hundred  in 
society.  I  left  upward  of  six  hundred."!  He  accompanied 
Asbur}^  as  far  as  Charleston,  where  the  bishop  stationed 
him,  that  he  might  undo  the  mischief  that  Hammett 
had  done.  He  was  the  man  for  the  place,  and  remained 
there  until  June  5,  1792. 

Richard  Whatcoat  was  born  in  the  county  of  Glouces- 
ter, England,  on  February  23,  1736,  converted  in  1758, 
and  joined  the  Conference  in  ]  769.  For  fifteen  years 
he  traveled  in  England,  Ireland,  and  Wales,  and  uni- 
formly proved  himself  a  faithful  and  zealous  laborer. 
In  September,  1784,  when  Coke  was  ordained  to  the 
superintendency  of  the  societies  in  America,  he  received 
ci'ders  as  deacon  and  elder  by  the  hands  of  Wesley, 
Coke,  and  Creighton.  He  came  to  America  with  Dr. 
Coke,  and  labored  for  several  years,  mostly  as  presiding 
elder,  in  Delaware  and  Maryland,  and  afterward  trav- 

*  See  his  text  on  a  subsequent  occasion,  p.  125.   • 
fWakelcy's  Lost  Ohapten;,  p.  377. 
9 


120  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

eled  with  Asbuiy.  He  remained  in  New  York  fi-om 
May,  1791,  to  September,  1792,  and,  having  filled  sev- 
eral other  important  positions,  was  elected  bishop  in 
1800.  He  finished  his  course  at  Dover,  in  Delaware, 
July  5,  1800,  aged  seventy  years.  He  "was  one  of  the 
saintliest  men  in  the  primitive  itinerancy  of  Methodism. 
.  .  .  So  much  divine  majesty  and  luster  appeared  in 
him  it  made  the  wicked  tremble  to  behold  him  ; "  yet 
"his  amiable,  heavenly,  and  courteous  carriage  was  such 
as  to  make  him  the  delight  of  his  acquaintances.  .  .  .  He 
feared  not  the  face  of  man,  but  where  there  was  just  oc- 
casion he  would  boldly  admonish  and  faithfully  reprove, 
yet  with  so  much  prudence  and  with  such  expressions 
of  tenderness  as  made  way  to  the  heart."  He  was  "an 
example  to  show  what  a  life  of  peace  and  holiness 
Christians  may  attain  on  earth."  * 

James  Mann  was  a  brother  of  John  Mann,  who  sup- 
plied John  Street  during  the  war,  before  the  ai-rival  of 
Samuel  Spraggs.  He  went  with  John  to  Nova  Scotia, 
and  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Conference  there. 
Joshua  Marsden  says  he  was  a  good  man  and  exceed- 
ingly useful.  This  was  liis  onh^  appointment  in  tlie 
United  States  ;  in  1794  he  is  set  down  to  Nova  Scotia 
again,  f 

Among  those  received  as  members  this  year  were 
Thomas  Carpenter,  William  Pinkney,  and  Ware  Bran- 
son. I 

*Dr.  Phffibus,  in  Stevens's  History  of  the  Metlwdist  Episcojml 
Church,  vol.  ii,  p.  157. 

•)•  Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  319. 

jj.  Book  i,  B,  p.  30.  Tliere  is  also  in  the  same  book  (p.  52)  a  list  of 
members,  dated  November  10,  1791,  by  James  Mann.  There  are  six 
hundred  and  twenty-four,  divided  into  twenty-seven  classes,  all  of 
them.,  except  three,  exclusively  male  or  female.  There  are  several 
new  leaders,  namely,  Pliilip  Arcularius,  John  Bleeker,  Henry  Newion, 
John  Cooper,  William  Phoebus,  Jolm  Sprosen,  Dnnlel  Carpenter, 
William  Cooper,  William  Valleau,  Daniel  Cont;nit,  Richard  Courtney, 
Elias  Vauderlip,  Robert  Cuddy,  Samuel  Stilwell,  and  Joseph  Rice. 


The  Shouting  of  the  Reapers,  121 

The  Conference  of  1792  was  appointed  for  July  19, 
but  from  Asbury's  Journal  we  find  it  did  not  meet  until 
Auo;ust  28.  He  arrived  on  July  17,  and  says  :  "I  did 
not  find  that  life  and  harmony  here  that  there  have 
been  in  times  past."  *  But  he  met  the  "  women's  classes 
and  found  the  Lord  was  among  them."  He  preached 
on  "Who  is  on  the  Lord's  side  ?"  and  had  some  life  in 
speaking,  but  there  was  little  move  in  the  congrega- 
tion. Sunday,  23d,  he  says,  "was  a  melting  time  with 
many  hearts  in  the  old  church,  my  subject  1  John  i,  6,  7. 
Li  the  afternoon,  although  very  unwell,  I  labored  hard 
in  the  new  church,  but  the  people  Avere  exceedingly  in- 
sensible. There  was  a  little  shaking  under  Brother 
Hull  (Hope  Hull)  in  the  old  church  in  the  evening." 
On  the  24th  he  was  on  his  way  to  New  England.  He 
returned  to  meet  the  Conference  on  August  28.  He  says 
twenty-eight  preachers  were  present.  On  Friday,  Sep- 
tember 1,  they  "had  a  solemn  love-feast,  the  lower  floor 
of  the  house  being  nearly  filled.  Several  of  the  breth- 
ren professed  perfect  love ;  others  had  lost  the  wit- 
ness." f  On  Sunday,  preparatory  to  the  sacrament,  he 
preached  on  1  Cor.  v,  7,  8  ;  and  at  the  conclusion  of  his 
visit  says:  "I  now  leave  Xew  York  for  one  whole  year, 
under  the  hope  and  prophecy  that  this  will  be  a  year  of 
the  Lord's  power  with  them."  This  prediction  was 
fulfilled. 

There  were  repoi'ted  at  this  Conference  511  w^hites  and 
130  colored;  total,  641 — an  increase  of  five  in  the  year. 
Thomas  Morreil  comes  back,  v/ith  L.  Green  and  G. 
Strebeck  as  his  colleages.     John  Merrick  was  the  elder. 

*  Perhaps  Mann's  Tory  proclivities  had  disturbed  the  society  and 
'  were  the  cause  of  his  not  receiving  another  appointment  in  tiie  United 
States. 

fB.  Abbott  says:  "The  bishop  observed  that  lie  never  had  heard 
so  many  speak  of  sanctiticatioa  in  this  place  before." — Experience  of 
B.  Abbott,  p.  194. 


122  A  History  of  Methodisji  ix  ]S^E^y  York  City. 

Lemuel  Green  had  been  about  nine  years  in  tlie 
work,  and  was  a  most  sterling  man  and  an  able  minister. 
He  located  in  1800,  but  in  1823  was  re-admitted  into  the 
Philadelphia  Conference,  to  which  he  bore  a  superannu- 
ated relation  until  his  death,  in  1831  (or  1832).  George 
Strebeck  had  just  been  received  on  trial.  He  withdrew 
in  a  few  years,  joining  the  Lutheran  Church  and  after- 
ward the  Episcopal.  He  was  the  first  pastor  of  St. 
Stephen's  Church,  formerly  corner  of  Broome  and 
Christie  Streets,  now  in  West  Forty-sixth  Street.  He 
was  zealous  and  popular.  He  died  in  Charleston  or 
Savannah.*  Phoebus,  who  located  this  year,  received 
quarterage  on  August  24,  and  there  is  no  payment  to 
Strebeck  about  that  time.  He  was  probably  supplying 
Strebeck's  place. 

Li  September  of  this  year  Ezekiel  Cooper  arrived  in 
New  York  from  Charleston,  S.  C.  He  describes  the  new 
church  as  "  the  most  complete  we  have  on  this  continent." 
He  spent  two  weeks  in  labor  for  the  cause  and  pleasant  so- 
cial intercourse.  Among  others  that  he  visited  Ave  find 
the  names  of  Houseman,  Doane,  Anderson,  Brower, 
Smith,  Bleeker,  Russel,  Staples,  Fosbrooke,  Clarke, 
Holliday,  Jaques,  Hazzard,  Wainright,  McKenniss — 
the  British  agent  in  New  York — Mott,  Newton,  Yal- 
leau,  Humbert,  Mei'cein,  Ilervey,  Matthias,  Myers, 
Cooper,  Snow,  Shatford,  Johnson,  and  Arcularius.  On 
the  9th  of  the  following  January  he  reached  New  York 
again  and  spent  five  days,  and  then  went  to  New  En- 

*  Up  to  tliis  time  we  have  no  evidence  that  any  of  the  preachers 
occupied  any  otiier  house  than  that  in  Jolm  Street  adjoining  tlie 
churcli.  But  the  Directory  for  1T93  gives  the  residence  of  George 
Strebeck  as  39  Frankfort  Street.  Altliough  the  preacliers  were  joint 
pastors  and  preaclied  at  all  the  churches  in  turn,  it  soon  became  the 
custom  for  each  to  exercise  especial  supervision  over  the  one  in  tlio 
neigliborhood  of  which  he  lived.  As  far  as  possible  these  residences 
will  be  given  hereafter. 


The  Shouting  of  the  Reapers,  123 

gland,  to  serve  as  elder  on  Mhat  niiglit  be  called  the 
Boston  District.     We  shall  meet  him  again  soon.* 

On  November  30  Dr.  Coke  came  and  spent  twelve 
da_ys,  preaching  some  twenty  sermons  to  thronged  as- 
semblies. He  testifies  that  the  society  had  "incompa- 
rably more  of  genuine  religion"  than  at  any  former 
period.  By  the  middle  of  December  he  was  again  at 
sea  on  his  way  to  the  West  Indies,  f 

In  the  meanwhile  Asbury's  prediction  was  in  process 
of  fulfillment.  Perhaps  he  had  seen  indications  of  im- 
provement or  had  confidence  in  the  zeal  and  talent  of 
the  laborers  he  had  sent  ;  or,  it  may  be,  felt  those 
premonitions  which  not  nnfrequently  come  like  inspi- 
rations on  men  living  in  close  communion  with  God. 
Whatever  it  may  have  been  he  expected  a  good  result, 
and  was  not  disappointed.  We  have  no  account  of  the 
origin  and  progress  of  the  work;  but  at  the  Conference 
of  1793  the  report  stood,  whites,  639;  colored,  154;  total 
793 — an  increase  of  152.J  On  March  1,  1793,  Mitchell 
B.  Bull,  afterward  well  known  as  a  local  preacher  in 
New  York  city,  was  received  as  a  member  from  Ireland. 
(Book  i,  B,  p.  8.) 

'^  Light  on  Early  Metlwdism,  p.  152. 

f  Stevens's  History  of  the  Metlwdist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  iii,  p.  42. 
\  A  list  of  the  classes,  with  their  leaders,  and  time  and  pluce  of 
meeting,  dated  February,  1793,  will  be  found  in  Appendix  N. 


124  A  History  of  Methodism  in  Xew  Yokk  City. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

SOWING  IN  IIOrE— CONFERENCE  OF  1793  TO  1795. 

The  Conference  for  1793  was  appointed  for  August 
25.  Bisliop  Asbury  arrived  on  the  21st,  but  was  so  un- 
well that  he  "kept  close  house  until  Sunday,  24th," 
when  he  preached  on  Rom.  xiii,  10-12.  To  his  hearers 
some  of  the  words  of  his  text  must  have  sounded  like  a 
prophetic  warning:  "  Xow  also  is  our  salvation  nearer 
than  when  we  believed.  The  night  is  far  spent,  the  day  is 
at  hand;  let  us  therefore  cast  off  the  works  of  darkness, 
and  let  us  put  on  the  armor  of  light."  The  weather  was 
extremely  warm  and  unhealthy;  some  members  of  the 
Conference  were  so  unwell  that  they  could  not  attend; 
the  yellow  fever  was  ringing  in  Philadel^^hia.  Thomas 
Morrell  was  appointed  to  New  York  without  any  col- 
league, and  was  to  exchange  in  six  months  with  F.  Gai*- 
rettson  in  Philadelphia.  On  the  14th  of  September, 
however,  Mr.  Moi'rell  says  in  his  Journal,  Daniel  Smith 
and  Evan  Rogers  "  came  to  my  assistance.  Before  they 
came  I  had  hard  labor,  and  was  obliged  to  employ  the 
local  preachers,"* 

Daniel  Smith  was  born  in  Philadelphia  in  17G9;  was 
converted  at  an  early  age,  and  admitted  into  the  travel- 
ing connection  in  1789.  He  began  his  work  in  New 
England  with  Jesse  Lee,  and  w^as  afterward  at  Charles- 
ton, S.  C,  M'hence  he  came  to  New  York.  He  was  a 
very  able  and  successful  preacher.  He  located  in  1794, 
and  eng.iged  in  business  in  Xew  York,  where  he  married 

*  Wakeley's  Lout  Chapters,  p.  395. 


SowixG  IX  Hope.  125 

a  daugliter  of  ALraliam  Russel,  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent members  of  the  society.  He  continued,  however,  to 
pj-each  witli  great  acceptability  until  the  close  of  his 
life.  His  last  sermon  was  in  the  John  Street  Church, 
about  two  weeks  before  his  death,  on  Matt,  xvi,  26.  He 
died  in  great  peace  October  23,  1815.*  Evan  Rogers 
was  educated  a  Quaker,  and  was  received  on  trial  in  the 
Conference  in  1790,  and  labored  principally  in  Delaware 
and  Maryland,  until  he  came  to  Xew  York.  He  after- 
ward went  into  New  England,  located  in  1797,  and 
eventually  joined  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. f 

"  On  the  26th  of  September,"  says  Mr.  Morrell  in  his 
Journal,  "  there  was  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  held 
in  New  York  in  every  church.  Such  a  solemn  time  was 
never  seen  in  this  city.  The  churches  were  all  crowded. 
Ours  (the  Forsyth  Street)  was  not  only  full,  and  the  house 
adjacent,  but  also  the  burying-yard,  I  preaclied  from 
Jonah  iii,  5.  It  was  a  most  solemn  season  indeed.  Three 
that  I  knew  were  awakened.  The  occasion  of  the  fast 
w^as  to  entreat  the  Lord  to  put  a  stop  to  the  malignant 
fever  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  We  had  praj'ers  at 
six  in  the  morning,  preaching  at  ten  A.  M.,  and  at  thi-ee 
and  six  P.  M."J 

In  the  following  March  Mr.  Morrell  took  leave  of  the 
society  in  New  York,  to  take  the  place  of  Garrettson  in 
Philadelphia.  He  makes  this  record:  "  Preached  March 
23,  from  Rom.  A'iii,  28,  'AH  things  work  together  for 
good,'  etc.§  j\\  Jj. — This  was  my  last  sermon  preached 
in  New  York,  on  Sunday  afternoon,  in  the  old  church. 
On  Thursday  evening  we  had  our  love-feast,  a  gracious 
time.  ...   I  found  about  three  hundred  members,  and 

*  Stevens's  History  of  the  Mdlwdlst  Episcopal  Cliurch,  vol.  ii,  p.  43T  ; 
Sprajjue's  Annals. 

fWakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  397.  Xlhid.,  p.  394. 

§  When  lie  left  before  his  text  was,  "  All  these  thni,n-3  are  against 
me."     The  prospect  seems  to  have  brightened.    See  p.  119. 


126  A  History  of  Methodism  in  Kew  York  City. 

when  I  left  them  above  eight  hundred  and  fifty.  ...  I 
left  Daniel  Smith  and  Evan  Hogers  as  preachers  there."* 

Either  the  last  number  above  given  is  an  error  or 
there  Avas  great  shrinkage  before  the  Conference  of  lYOi, 
The  Minutes  report,  whites,  575;  colored,  135;  total  710 
— a  decrease  of  83.  No  doubt  a  sifting  had  followed  the 
accession  of  the  preceding  year;  but  it  is  hard  to  under- 
stand how  Thomas  Morrell,  a  man  of  unusual  accuracy 
and  integrity,  should  commit  such  an  error.  Perhaps 
it  is  due  to  the  transcriber  or  printer. 

On  Sunday,  September  21,  Bishop  Asbur}^  preached 
in  the  old  house,  on  Psa.  cxxxii,  and  at  the  new  church 
in  the  afternoon  on  Psa.  i.  On  Monday,  22,  he  opened 
Conference,  and  says,  "  We  sat  closely  to  our  business. 
Tuesday,  23,  I  preached  with  liberty;  but  on  Thursday 
night  1  had  a  powerful  temptation  before  I  went  into 
the  church,  which  sat  so  heavily  on  me  that  I  could  not 
preach;  yet  I  trust  I  was  kept  from  sin.  .  .  .  We  con- 
cluded our  work,  and  observed  Friday  as  a  day  of  ab- 
stinence and  prayer,  and  had  a  good  time  at  our  love- 
feast."  On  Sunday  afternoon  he  preached  in  the  new 
church  on  '  Woe  to  them  that  are  at  ease  in  Zion  ! '  and 
ordained  seven  deacons  and  five  elders.  "  In  the  evening 
at  the  old  church  I  preached  again ;  we  had  the  best 
time  at  the  last;  at  least  it  was  so  to  me."  The  appoint- 
ments read:  "  New  York  and  Brooklyn,  E.  Cooper,  L. 
McCombs ;  supernumeraries,  W.  Phoebus,  J.  Brush,  D. 
Kendall."  Cooper,  Brush,  and  Phoebus  have  already 
been  noticed;  let  us  see  what  we  can  learn  of  the  others. 

Laurence  McCombs  (or  Larry  McCombs,  as  he  was 
familiarly  called  by  the  Methodists  of  the  time)  was 
one  of  the  giants  of  those  days.  He  joined  the  Phila- 
delphia Conference  in  1792,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three, 
and  beginning  his  work  on  the  Newburg  Circuit  became 
*  Wakeley's  Lost  ChcqUers,  p.  396. 


Sowing  in  IIopk.  127 

exceedingly  pojDular.  He  was  full  six  feet  in  height, 
with  a  finely  developed  form,  and  a  voice  full,  clear,  and 
of  great  flexibility.  He  was  not  a  close  thinker  ;  his 
style  was  diffuse  and  even  wordy,  and  he  had  a  singular 
habit  of  elevating  one  of  his  shoulders  by  sudden  jerks. 
But  he  had  great  power  wnth  the  masses,  and  his  pres- 
ence at  a  camp-meeting  would  attract  immense  crowds. 
After  laboring  in  Xew  England  and  the  Middle  States 
until  1806  he  located,  but  re-entered  the  work  in  1815. 
He  filled  prominent  positions  in  the  Philadelphia  Con- 
ference until,  in  1835,  he  located  again.  He  died  in 
Philadelphia,  Juno  11,  1836,  in  his  sixty-seventh  year.* 

All  we  know  of  David  Kendall  is  that  he  entered  the 
work  in  1788  and  located  in  1795,  having  labored  in 
New  York  and  New  England. 

But  we  read  also  in  the  Minutes,  "  S.  and  R.  Hutch- 
inson to  change  every  three  months  with  L.  McCombs." 
Sylvester  Hutchinson  was  appointed  to  Croton  and  New 
Rochelle,  and  Robert,  his  brother,  to  Long  Island.  A 
third  brother,  Aaron,  who  died  in  1791,  after  a  brief 
ministry  of  about  four  years,  was  considered  the  best 
preacher  of  the  three. f  If  so  he  would  have  been  pre- 
eminent had  he  lived,  for  the  other  two  were  men  of  no 
ordinary  ability.  Sylvester  Hutchinson  began  his  min- 
istry in  1789  and  continued  until  1803,  when  he  was 
jiresiding  elder  on  Pittsfield  District.  Then  his  name 
disappears  from  the  list  of  appointments,  and  in  1806 
he  located.  He  was  an  able  and  zealous  preacher,  but 
sometimes  "  as  rough  as  a  grater."J  As  a  pi-esiding  eld- 
er he  exhibited  "  burning  zeal  and  indomitable  energy. 
Mounted  upon  his  favorite  horse  he  would  ride  through 
the  entire  extent  of  his  district,    reaching   from  New 

■"  Spra<rue's  AjiJials  of  the  Methodist  Puljyit ;  Stevens's  History  of  the 
Methodist Ejnscopal  Church,  vol.  iii,  p.  137, 

t  Wiikeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  528.  :[: /Z/u^.,  p.  528. 


128  A  IIisToiiY  OF  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

York  city  to  Canada,  and  from  the  Hudson  River  to 
the  Connecticut,  once  every  three  months,  visiting  each 
circuit  and  invariably  filling  all  his  numerous  appoint- 
ments. His  voice  rung  like  a  trumpet-blast;  and  with 
M'ords  of  fire,  and  in  powerful  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit,  he  preached  Christ  Jesus."*  Not  unfrequently  in 
those  days  a  preacher's  marriage  led  to  his  location,  but, 
singular  to  say,  Mr.  Hutchinson's  h)cation  resulted  from 
his  failure  to  marry.  Pie  was  engaged  to  a  young  lady 
of  influential  family,  whose  "friends,  especially  one 
brother,  made  such  desperate  opposition  that  the  engage- 
ment was  broken  off  the  da}^  the  wedding  was  to  have 
taken  place.  Mr.  Asbury  reprimanded  him  severely  for 
not  marrying  the  girl  at  all  hazards;"  and  the  result 
M'as  he  left  the  Church.  He  afterward  married,  and 
when  the  Protestant  Methodists  arose  became  a  minister 
among  tliem.     He  died  November  11,  1840.f 

Of  Robert  Hutchinson  we  know  less.  His  connection 
with  the  traveling  ministry  lasted  about  ten  years,  end- 
ing with  his  location  in  1799.  He  "was  sometimes  pa- 
thetic, then  he  was  terrific. "J  These  three  brothers  were 
grandsons  of  Mrs.  Ann  Hutchinson,  who  was  mothei*  of 
thirteen  children,  grandmother  and  great-great-grand- 
mother of  more  than  three  hundred  children,  and  who 
died  when  nearly  one  hundred  and  two  years  of  rige.§ 

In  regard  to  E.  Cooper's  appointment  to  New  Yoi'k 
this  year  the  following  letter,  lately  published  for  the 
first  time,  will  be  of  interest:  || 

My  Very  Dear  Brother:  I  am  now  satisfied  tliat  yoii  should  take 
j'our  stand  liere  till  further  orders.  It  is  my  wish  that  j^ou  should 
keep  a  conference  with  the  preachers  in  tliis  city,  stiitioned  and  suner- 

*  Clark's  Life  of  Eedding,  p.  86. 

f  See  "Warriner's  G^d  Sands  Street,  p.  138;  and  Atkinson's  Centen- 
nial History,  p.  152. 

\  Wukeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  528.    §  Asbury's  Journal,  May  23, 1802. 
\  Light  on  Early  Methodism,  p.  190. 


Sowing  ix  Hope.  129 

numerarlGS.  It  is  my  desire  that  once  in  five  or  six  wf  oks  each  one 
of  you  sliould  spend  a  Sabbath  in  Brooklyn.  Brother  Plicebus  has 
lieard  my  mind.  I  want  quarterly  meetings  to  be  held  at  each  of  the 
three  houses,  first  at  one  and  then  at  another.  Meet  the  first  day, 
and  then  the  following  day  call  the  leaders  and  stewards  in  confer- 
ence, close  conference  about  the  work  of  God  and  their  souls,  the 
order  and  harmony  of  the  societies,  and  their  temporal  supplies.  Have 
a  love-feast  for  all  the  societies.  Let  me  hear  from  you,  and  you 
shall  hear  from  me.  I  have  been  greatly  employed,  preaching  three 
times  this  day,  and  am  going  off  early  to-raorrow  morning.  Tiiine 
in  love,  Francis  Asbury. 

Xew  York,  Lord's  Day.  September  28,  1194. 

I  give  it  as  my  real  opinion  that  you  should  have  no  open  love- 
feast.     Attend  to  "this.  F.  Asbury. 

Accordingly,  when  Mr.  Cooper  arrived  he  called  the 
leaders  and  stewards  together,  but  "  found  some  opposi- 
tion to  the  plans  proposed."*  There  Avere  three  ser- 
mons in  each  church,  the  effective  ministers  alternating, 
and  after  the  evening  service  a  general  meeting  of  the 
whole  society  was  held,  conducted  by  the  pastor.  On 
Monday  evening  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  select 
bands ;  Tuesday  evening,  preaching  ;  Wednesday  even- 
ing, prayer-meeting  ;  Thursday  evening,  class-meetings  ; 
Friday  evening,  preaching;  Saturday  evening,  class- 
meetings.f  On  Sunday,  November  2,  he  says  :  "  In 
the  evening,  after  preaching  in  the  old  church  by 
Brother  McCombs,  there  broke  out  a  powerful  work 
among  the  people."  J  On  Christmas  day  the  sacrament 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  was  administered  in  both  churt-hes, 
and  three  sermons  preached  in  each  of  them.§  At  this 
time,  Mr.  Cooper  tells  us,  McCombs  left,  and  R.  Hutch- 
inson came  from  Long  Island,  as  the  Minutes  directed.  || 

The  year  closed  with  a  watch-night,  held  in  the  old 
church,  beginning  at  eight  o'clock.  A  sermon  was 
preached  by  Mr.  Cooper,  and  exhortations  were  deliv- 

*  TJijht  on  Early  MelliodLsm.  p.  19:^         f  E.  Cooper's  Manuscript. 
\  Llijld  Oil  Early  Methodism,  p.  194.     §  Ibid.,  p.  19G.     ||  Ibid.,  p.  195. 


130  A  HiSTOKV  OF  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

ered  by  Messrs,  Phoebus,  Ilutcliinson,  Smith,  Valleau, 
and  Brush.  The  congregation,  Avhich  remained  till 
after  midnight,  numbered  nearly  five  hundred.* 

On  the  Cth  day  of  January,  1795,  the  various  de- 
nominations of  the  city  held  a  concert  of  prayer  for  the 
outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Services  were  held  in 
the  Methodist  churches  at  two  o'clock. f  Mr.  Cooper 
states  that  Mr.  McKenniss,  the  British  agent  in  New 
Yoi-k,  was  a  worshiper  with  the  church  and  contributed 
to  its  funds.  I 

It  seems  that  Bishop  Asbury  had  got  the  idea,  for 
which  there  Avas  probably  some  foundation,  that  the 
visiting  of  the  preachers  in  New  York  city  was  too 
much  of  a  social  character  and  not  enough  in  a  pastoral 
spirit.  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Cooper  from  Charleston,  dated 
January  2,  1795,  he  says:  "I  am  in  hopes  that  some- 
thing valuable  Avill  take  place  in  New  York  in  the  year 
1795.  Your  attention  ought  to  be  had  to  discipline  and 
A-isiting  from  house  to  house,  but  not  to  eat  and  drink. 
I  am  pointedly  against  that.  You  have  a  house  to  eat 
in;  you  need  not  go  to  feast  Avith  the  Church  of  God. 
"\Ve  ought  to  visit  as  doctors  or  as  persons  to  plead  the 
cause  of  their  souls,  not  as  guests  to  eat  and  drink.  I 
am  convinced  it  is  and  will  be  an  evil."  §  Sound  advice 
this,  and  not  out  of  date  a  century  later. 

The  Methodists  of  Ncav  York,  like  the  first  of  that 
name  in  Oxford,  had  "  a  care  for  the  spiritual  interests 
of  the  prisoners."  "They  had  preaching  regularly  once 
a  month,  on  Friday,  and  other  spiritual  counsel."]] 
February  19,  1795,  had  been  appointed  by  the  president 
a  day  of  national  thanksgiving.  Public  AA^orship  Avas 
held  in  the  Methodist  churches  three  times,  the  same  as 
on  the  Sabbath.     Mr.  Cooper  preached  in  the  forenoon. 

*  Light  on  Early  Mdliodifun,  p.  196.  ]  Unci.,  p.  198. 

X  Ibid.,  p.  197.  §  Ibid.,  p.  199.  ||  Ibid.,  p.  199. 


SowixG  IX  Hope.  131 

"  One  person,"  he  says,  "  wrote  me  a  letter  disapprov- 
ing of  my  preaching  at  all  on  politics,  which  I  touched 
upon  considerably.  But  I  felt  a  clear  conscience ;  I  did 
no  more  than  my  duty  upon  such  an  occasion."  *  On 
February  22  he  was  invited  by  a  company  of  New  York 
deists  to  jDreach  a  sermon  for  them.  They  gave  him  as 
his  text,  "  But  of  that  day  and  hour  knoweth  no  man, 
no,  not  the  angels  which  are  in  heaven,  neither  the  Son, 
but  the  Father."  Mark  xiii,  32.  The  letter  was  so 
civil  and  candid  that  he  consented,  and  says  he  found 
unexpected  liberty.  lie  was  informed,  too,  that  good 
was  done,  the  faith  of  numbers  being  strengthened, 
though  he  did  not  hear  that  one  deist  was  convinced. 
They  sent  him,  however,  a  letter  of  thanks,  acknowledg- 
ing that  his  arguments  were  superior  to  any  they  had 
seen  among  the  writers  against  Thomas  Paine's  Age  of 
Heason.  A  general  fast-day,  appointed  throughout  the 
Methodist  connection,  was  observed  in  the  New  York 
churches  on  February  27.f 

Undeu  date  of  Monday,  March  16,  Mr.  Cooper  says: 
"This  day  we  had  our  election  for  trustees  in  the 
church.  Assembled  at  eleven  and  finished  at  one 
o'clock.  There  was  the  greatest  election  ever  known 
upon  the  occasion  at  any  time  wliatever  before.  There 
was  a  perfect  party  piece  of  work,  one  for  putting  out 
the  old  members  and  the  other  for  keeping  them  in. 
The  contention  rose  so  high  tliat  I  was  much  grieved. 
I  thought  that  some  were  quite  out  of  a  religious  line  of 
conduct.  The  election  caused  great  uneasiness  in  the  so- 
ciety; unfriendly  things  were  said  of  each  other  which 
I  feared  would  be  a  means  of  getting  some  of  them  out 
of  the  societ)'.  However,  we  settled  matters  tolerably 
well.     The  old  trustees  were  continued  in  office."  J 

"  Lkjhton  Earhj  Methodism,  p.  200.  \  Ibid.,  p.  201. 

X  Ibid.,  p.  203.    Who  these  trustees  were,  and  also  who  were  the 


132  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  Yoek  City. 

The  Methodists  paid  then  more  attention  to  Chnrch 
feast  days  than  they  do  now.  We  find  in  Mr.  Cooper's 
Journal  the  following :  "  Sunday,  May  24.  This  being 
Whitsunday,*  I  preached  from  Acts  ii,  4,  in  the  new 
church,  and  we  gave  the  sacraments.  A  powerful  time 
we  had ;  tlie  Lord  was  with  us  of  a  truth.  Several 
were  so  wrought  upon  that  for  some  time  they  could  not 
walk  nor  stand.  We  had  a  small  shout  of  joy  and  glad- 
ness at  the  entrance  of  the  ark  into  the  camp."  On 
Monday  he  adds :  "  We  had  preaching  three  times — 
Brother  Brush  in  the  morning  at  the  old  church,  I  at 
three  o'clock  P.  M.  at  the  new  church,  and  Brother 
McCombs  at  six  o'clock  P.  M.  in  the  fields."  They  had 
a  large  company  in  the  fields,  and  generally  good  order 
and  considerable  power  attended  the  word.  On  Sunday, 
May  31,  they  took  up  their  quarterly  collection,  amount- 
stewards,  local  preachers,  and  class-leaders  in  September,  ITOS,  will 
be  seen  from  the  following  list,  found  in  Book  i,  B,  p.  38: 

Trustees:  John  Staples,  Philip  Arcularius,  John  Bleeker,  William 
Snyder,  Henry  Newton,  Abraliam  Russel. 

Steiuards:  John  Sprosen,  Henry  Newton,  Jolin  Bleeker,  Jolm 
Staples. 

Local  Preachers:  Daniel  Smith  (elder),  Jonas  Humbert,  William 
Vallean,  Jesse  Oakley,  Robert  Cuddy. 

Glass- leaders :  Abraliam  Russel,  Philip  Arcularins,  Henry  New- 
ton, John  Bleeker,  Wihiam  Snyder,  John  Staples  (two  classes),  William 
Cooper  (tliree  classes),  William  Henr}-,  George  Courtnej%  Paul  Hick, 
Daniel  Contant,  Ware  Branson,  Thomas  Hutchinson  (two  classes), 
Abraham  Brower,  Andrew  Mercein,  Peter  McLain,  John  Davis  (two 
classes),  James  Sharack,  Elias  Tanderlip,  Jonas  Humbert,  CorneUus 
Warner,  Richard  Lecraft,  Robert  Cuddj^  William  Mills,  David  Renny, 
John  Brower,  Henry  Banker,  Samuel  Seirs,  William  Grant,  Thomas 
Kirk,  Samuel  Elsworth,  Barnet  Matthias,  Bazel  Myers,  Thomas  Lovell, 
John  Yark,  John  Sprosen.  This  would  give  leaders  for  forty-one 
classes ;  but  the  list  of  members  which  follows  is  divided  into  but 
thirty -four  classes,  and  the  last  seven  names  are  not  found  there  as 
leaders.  They  were  probably  appointed  to  fill  vacancies  which  arose 
afterward. 

*How  many  Methodists  now  can  tell,  on  the  spur  of  tlie  moment, 
what  Whitsunday  commemorates? 


SowixG  IX  Hope.  133 

ing  to  more  than  eighty  pounds.  M\\  Cooper  preached 
on  Prov.  xi,  23-25.  Some  thought  he  begged  too  liard.* 
At  the  love-feast  on  Wednesday  evening,  June  17,  "the 
Lord  was  powerfully  present.  I  have  not  seen  so  good 
a  time  for  a  great  while  past."  f 

On  Monday,  June  29,  Bishop  Asbury,  accompanied 
by  Thomas  Ware,  came  to  the  city,  where  he  remained 
for  a  week,  and  visited  all  the  classes.^  On  Saturday, 
July  4,  he,  Avith  the  other  preachers,  the  trustees,  stew- 
ards, and  leaders,  had  a  meeting  for  the  purpose  of 
looking  into  the  state  and  religious  wants  of  the  soci- 
ety.§  Asbury,  in  his  Journal,  says:  "I  had  some  close 
talk  on  the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  the  Church ; 
I  asked  if  they  wished  to  be  Methodists.  But  how 
could  I  suppose  any  thing  else,  when  they  were  a  so- 
ciety of  nearl}^  thirty  years'  standing?"  On  Sunday 
he  preached  in  Brooklyn  in  the  morning,  and  i-eturned 
to  assist  in  the  sacrament  in  the  afternoon  at  the  new 
church.  "  I  then  met  the  black  classes,!  and  preached  at 
half-past  six.  I  closed  my  day's  work  by  meeting  two 
men's  classes."  On  Monday  he  met  three  classes  at  ten 
o'clock,  five  at  three  o'clock,  and  four  at  eight  o'clock. •[ 
On  Sunday,  September  6,  Mr.  Cooper  preached  his 
farewell  sermon  in  each  church.** 

*  Light  on  Early  Methodism,  p.  211.  \  Thid.,  p.  211. 

J  There  were  thirty-four  classes  in  the  following  September. 

^  Light  on  Early  Methodism,  p.  213. 

II  Of  these  there  were  eiglit.     Book  i,  B,  p.  42. 

^  So  says  Mr.  Cooper  {Light  on  Early  M-thodism,  p.  213);  but  As' 
bury,  in  ins  Journal,  says  he  met  nine  classes,  instead  of  twelve. 
Does  Mr.  Cooper  wish  to  magnify  the  bishop's  activity,  or  does  the 
bishop  in  his  humility  depreciate  his  own  labor?  He  adds,  however: 
"  I  have  now  spoken  to  most  of  the  members  here,  one  by  one." 

**  Light  on  Early  Methodism,  p.  216. 


134  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


CPIAPTER  XIII. 

A  THIRD  GARXER— COXFEREXCE  OF  1T95  TO  1799. 

The  yellow  fever  was  ragino^  in  the  city,  and  there- 
fore the  Conference  of  1795,  which  had  been  appointed 
to  meet  there,  assembled  at  White  Plains  on  September 
22.*  The  membership  in  the  city  Avas  reported  as  600 
AV'hites  and  155  colored;  in  all  755 — an  increase  of  45. 
The  appointments  for  New  York  read:  "  W.  Lee,  J. 
Clark,  six  months."    G.  Robei'ts  was  the  elder. 

The  name  of  Lee  has  frequently  been  j^rominent  in 
the  annals  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Jesse 
Lee  was  the  apostle  to  New  England,  Jason  Lee  was  the 
leader  of  the  band  of  missionaries  to  the  Pacific  coast, 
and  Luther  Lee  was  pre-eminent  in  the  antislavery  con- 
troversy. Wilson  Lee,  though  not  as  widely  celebi-ated, 
is  entitled  to  a  place  of  scarcely  less  honor.  Born  in 
Sussex  County,  Del.,  in  1764,  he  entered  the  traveling 
connection  in  1784.  He  labored  mainly  in  the  West 
until  1793,  when  he  M^as  appointed  to  Salem,  N.  J.,  and 
in  1794  to  New  London,  Conn.  On  his  way  from  there 
to  New  York  he  was  the  means  of  introducing  Method- 
ism into  Southold,  L.  I.,  under  very  interesting  circum- 
stances.f  After  a  year  in  New  York  he  labored  for 
three  years  in  Philadelphia,  and  then  in  Maryland,  until, 
in  1804,  he  became  superannuated,  and  died  on  the  11th 

*Tlie  Snpernmnerari/,  from  papers  of  E.  "Woolsej,  p.  57. 

fBangs's  Hisiory  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  i,  p.  300; 
Stevens's  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcojml  Church,  vol.  iii,  p.  165- 
Spragiie's  Annals  of  the  Methodist  Pulpit,  p.  91 ;  "Wakeley's  Lost  Chap. 
ters,  p.  405. 


A  Third  Garner.  135 

of  October  following.  He  was  "  one  of  the  most  labori- 
ous, successful,  and  self-denj-ing  of  the  early  ministers."* 
Mr.  Lee  reached  New  York  some  weeks  before  the  end 
of  the  Conference  year,  and  assisted  Mr,  Cooper,  f 

Of  John  Clark  all  that  we  know  is  that  he  entered 
the  work  in  1791,  and  after  laboring  in  the  South  four 
years,  and  one  year  in  New  York,  withdrew  in  1796. 
Plis  appointment  was  for  six  months,  and  that  of  Joseph 
Totten,  J  in  Brooklyn,  was  for  the  same  period,  no  doubt 
with  the  understanding  that  they  were  to  exchange.  § 

*Sprague's  Annals,  p.  91.         \  LigJit  on  Earhj  Methodism,  p.  215. 

:j:  Mr.  Totten  was  born  in  Hempstead,  L.  L,  in  1759,  entered  the 
work  in  1792,  and,  having  labored  in  prominent  appointments  and  in 
tlie  eldership,  died  in  Philadelphia  in  1818.  His  brethren  say  he  was 
"dearly  beloved." 

§  The  "  Old  Book,"  which  might  have  given  ns  light,  suddenly 
fails  us  here.  The  last  explicit  entry  in  it  is  dated  Septem- 
ber 9,  1795.  A  few  others  which  read,  "To  sundries  as  per 
Day  Book,"  follow,  the  latest  being  May  .^0,  1797,  when  there 
was  a  balance  of  £147  14s.  in  tlie  hands  of  tlie  treasurer.  The 
succession  in  this  office  (of  treasurership)  was  as  follow?  :  From 
August,  1769  (when  the  accounts  in  the  "Old  Book"  com- 
mence), until  April  15,  1771,  Wm.  Lupton  was  treasurer.  From 
May,  1771,  to  May  19,  1774,  James  Jar  vis.  From  May  20,  1774, 
to  February  7,  1776,  John  Staples  and  Stephen  Snnds.  From  May 
11,  1776,  to  September  8,  1778,  J.  Staples  and  R.  Sause.  From 
September  11,  1778,  to  March  4,  1783,  R.  Sause,  Charles  White,  and 
John  Mann.  From  March  4,  1783,  to  July  2,  1783,  R  Sause  and 
C.  White.  From  July  10,  1783,  to  August  30,  1783,  C.  White.  From 
September  13, 1783,  to  July  1,  1785,  Stephen  Sands  and  John  Staples. 
From  July  1,  1785,  to  April  8,  1786,  S.  Sands.  (But  the  name  of 
Henry  Newton  has  also  been  written  at  the  head  of  three  pages  and 
crossed  off.)  From  April,  1786,  to  April  18,  1791,  J.  Staples,  H.  New- 
ton, and  John  Bleecker.  From  April  18,  1791,  to  March  14,  1792, 
Samuel  Stillwell  is  added.  From  March  14,  1792,  to  May  30,  1797 
(when  the  account  ends),  John  Sprosen  is  in  place  of  S.  Si  ill  well.  The 
top  of  the  next  two  pages  is  opened  with  the  names  of  Henry  New- 
ton, John  Sprosen,  Carpenter,  and  John  J.  Brower ;  but  there  are 

no  entries  except  on  December  9,  1796.      "  To  sundries  as  per  Day 
Book,  £1,068  45.  lid"     Tliis  is  the  last  entry  in  place  in  the  "Old 
Book,"  but  on  the  preceding  pages,  as  stated  above,  there  are  a  few  of 
later  date. 
10 


136  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

George  Roberts,  the  elder  for  this  year,  was  a  native 
of  Maryland,  born  May  3,  1766.  He  must  have  entered 
the  itinerancy  in  1789,  as  his  name  appears  in  the  Min- 
utes of  1790  as  "continued  on  trial."  He  soon  went  to 
New  England,  where  he  labored  until  1  795,  when  he 
became  elder  on  the  district  including  New  York  city. 
Six  years  more  were  spent  in  Baltimore  and  Philadel- 
phia, and  in  1806  he  located  in  Baltimore,  where  he  con- 
tinued until  his  death  in  most  decided  spiritual  triumph, 
on  November  27,  1827.  Wliile  in  Philadelphia  he  was 
on  intimate  terms  with  the  celebrated  Dr,  Rush,  and 
there  commenced  the  study  of  medicine,  which  he  after- 
ward practiced  with  skill  and  success,  doing  very  effect- 
ive service  also  as  a  local  preacher.  He  was  an  able 
speaker,  a  vigorous  writer,  and  commanded  universal 
respect.  His  son,  the  Rev.  Dr.  George  C.  M.  Roberts,has 
been  well  known  for  his  interest  in  Methodist  history.* 

As  has  already  been  stated,  that  dreadful  pestilence, 
the  yellow  iever,  prevailed  in  New  York  this  year  (1 705). 
It  broke  out  in  August,  and  therefore  the  Conference 
met  at  White  Plains,  f 

*See  "VVurriuer's  Old  Sands  Street,  p.  3  33. 

f  Rev.  John  Kingstou,  from  the  West  Indies,  was  in  the  city  assist- 
ing for  a  while,  and  to  his  pen  we  are  indebted  for  a  description  of 
the  ravages  of  the  plague.  He  says,  "  Sometimes  eiglity  were  buried 
in  a  day."  "  On  returning  from  "Wiiite  Plains  to  New  York  we  met 
great  multitudes  of  people  fleeing  from  the  fever;  the  road  was  al- 
most covered  with  coaches  and  wagons  and  persons  on  horseback 
and  on  foot,  endeavoring  to  escape  from  tlie  destroyer.  About  three 
miles  from  the  cily  I  saw  the  Potter's  Field  (now  Wasliington  Square), 
where  all  who  died  of  tlie  plague  were  buried.  Such  a  sight  of  open 
graves  and  recently  opened  [ones]  I  never  beheld.  Near  this  dreadful 
place  we  met  the  dead-cart.  No  one  was  permitted  to  come  near  it,  but 
only  the  two  drivers,  who  wore  a  covering  dipped  in  tar,  to  preserve 
them  from  taking  the  infection."  Referring  to  ihe  death  of  Rev.  J;icob 
Brush,  he  says:  "  I  visited  Mr.  Brush  a  short  time  before  his  decease, 
and  lie  gave  indubitable  proof  that  he  was  happy  in  the  favor  and 


A  Thikd  Garxer.  137 

During  the  ensuing  Conference  year  the  society  was 
agitated  on  tlie  subject  of  XJniversalism.  AVinchester, 
a  leading  preacher  of  that  belief,  had  drawn  away 
several  influential  members,  including  some  of  the  trust- 
ees. Roberts,  the  elder,  began  to  enforce  discipline ; 
and  several  applied  for  certificates  of  dismission.  At 
length,  however,  the  secession  ceased,  and  the  work  of 
God  began  to  revive.  About  two  hundred  were  con- 
verted, many  of  them  heads  of  families  and  men  of  in- 
fluence, and  a  number  of  the  seceders  returned.*  Mr. 
Cooper  refers  to  this  matter,  and  says,  "There  was  also 
an  agitation  about  making  new  seats  for  the  John  Street 
Cliurch,  similar  to  pews."  Being  on  a  visit  to  the  city, 
both  parties  opened  their  minds  to  him.  He  preached, 
therefore,  a  sermon  founded  on  a  portion  of  Rom.  xiv, 
showing  wherein  the  kingdon  of  God  consisted,  and  ex- 
posing the  evil  of  judging  and  condemning  one  another 
on  slight  occasions.  He  wisely  avoided  the  adoption 
of  the  views  of  either  party,  and  by  request  the  sermon 
was  repeated  in  the  new  church.f 

On  Monday,  August  15,  1796,  Bishop  Asbury  crossed 
the  ferry  from  New  Jersey  to  New  York.  He  met 
classes  and  visited  from  house  to  house,  and  on  the  next 

peace  of  God.  I  preached  his  funeral  [sermon]  to  a  serious  multitude 
iu  the  new  church ;  and  what  iiflfected  me  not  a  little,  the  Sunday  be- 
fore I  heard  him  preach  a  funeral  sermon  iu  the  same  pulpit  for  a 
deceased  friend.  The  Tuesday  preceding  his  decease  ho  was  to  have 
been  married." — Methodist  Magazine  for  June,  1799,  pp.  262,  263. 
Quoted  in  E.  Cooper's  papers. 

"Among  others  who  died  was  the  pious  Mr.  John  Bleecker,  a  class- 
leader,  trustee,  and  steward  of  the  society  in  John  Street.  He  was  a 
man  of  devout  piety,  and  in  his  parting  moments  expressed  the  utmost 
confidence  in  the  Lord  and  a  glorious  prospect  of  everlasting  rest 
in  him.  It  was  computed  that  not  less  than  seven  hundred  persons 
died  (jf  this  malignant  fever." — E.  Cooper's  papers. 

*  Article  by  Elias  Vanderlip,  Chrisiian  Advocate,  vol.  xxiii,  p.  84. 

f  Papers  of  E.  Cooper. 


138  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Sunday  preached  in  the  morning  at  Brooklyn,  and  in 
the  afternoon  at  New  York,  to  about  sixteen  hundred 
people,  "  some  of  whom  were  wild  and  wicked  enough." 
The  next  day  he  "  met  three  living  classes,  several  among 
whom  professed  perfect  love."  He  adds,  "  The  Aveather 
is  excessively  warm  and  dry;  people  are  sickly  and 
dying,  especially  children."  He  complains  also  of  the 
mosquitoes.  On  Thursday'-,  25th,  after  meeting  classes 
and  visiting,  he  preached  to  a  large  congregation  in  the 
evening,  many  of  whom  wept.  On  Sunday,  the  2Sth,  he 
preached  in  the  morning  at  the  old  church,  in  the  after- 
noon at  the  new,  on  Heb.  ii,  3,  and  in  the  evening  at 
the  old  church  again,  on  Rev.  iii,  2,  3,  besides  meeting 
six  classes.  "  Brother  L.  [^yilson  Lee?]  pi'eached  twice 
in  the  north  end  of  Broadway ;  the  congregation  ap- 
peared serious  and  attentive."  This  field-preaching  was 
probably  on  the  common,  now  the  City  Hall  Park.  Tues- 
day, 30th,  he  delivered  his  concluding  discourse  on  Isa, 
Ivii,  18.  On  Wednesday,  31st,  he  makes  an  entry  which 
is  an  appropriate  sequel  to  the  testimony  of  Cooper  and 
Yanderlip  as  to  the  state  of  things  in  the  society,  and 
for  that  and  other  reasons  deserves  attention:  "I  had 
a  meeting  with  the  leaders  in  close  conference,  and 
found  it  necessary  to  explain  some  parts  of  our  disci- 
pline to  them,  particularly  that  of  the  right  of  preachers 
expelling  members,  when  tried  before  the  society  or  a 
select  number  and  found  guilty  of  a  breach  of  the  law 
of  God  and  our  rules ;  and  that  if  an  appeal  were  made 
it  should  be  brought  before  the  Quarterly  Meeting  Con- 
ference, composed  of  traveling  and  local  preachers,  lead- 
ers, and  stewards,  and  finally  be  determined  by  a  major- 
ity of  votes.  I  found  it  also  needful  to  observe  there 
was  such  a  thing  as  heresy  in  the  Church ;  and  I  know 
not  what  it  is  if  it  be  not  to  deny  the  Lord  that  bought 
them,  and  the  eternity  of  the  punishment  of  the  damned, 


A  Third  Garner.  139 

as  is  virtually  done  by  the  Universalists.  Schism  is  not 
dividing  hypocrites  from  hypocrites,  formal  professors 
from  people  of  their  own  caste;  it  is  not  dividing  nomi- 
nal Methodists  from  nominal  Methodists,  or  nominal 
Quakers  from  nominal  Quakers,  etc.  But  sc/tism  is 
dividing  real  Christians  from  each  other  and  breaking 
the  unity  of  the  Spirit."  He  also  met  the  trustees,  and 
after  a  day  of  much  labor  preached  at  the  new  house 
in  the  evening  on  Acts  xx,  32 — an  appropriate  farewell 
text. 

The  next  day  Asbury  left  the  city  for  New  England,  re- 
turning in  time  for  the  Conference.  He  writes:  "  Thurs- 
day, September  29,  I  preached  on  Luke  xii:  '  Who  then 
is  a  faithful  and  wise  servant,'  etc.  I  began  to  confer 
with  the  brethren  as  they  came  in,  and  do  the  business 
by  scraps,  as  we  could  come  at  it.  We  were  in  doubt 
whether  some  of  the  preachers  would  come  at  all,  on  ac- 
count of  the  rumors  of  the  yellow  fever,  which  still  ap- 
peared in  parts  of  the  city.  On  Friday  we  entered  fully 
into  our  work,  and  on  Saturday  we  concluded  our  short 
Conference,  the  preachers  being  desirous  to  depart.  We 
had  a  solemn,  peaceable  sitting,  and  so  also  were  our  con- 
gregations. I  preached  at  our  house  in  John  Street  on 
Mark  ix,  1:  'There  be  some  standing  here  w^hich  shall 
not  taste  of  death  until  they  have  seen  the  kingdom  of 
God  come  with  power;'  but  I  had  little  opening."  At 
the  same  place,  on  the  following  Sunday,  October  2,  he 
had  great  enlargement  on  Eph,  iv,  11-13.  "The  feel- 
ings of  the  people  were  touched,  and  my  own  also,  as  if 
it  had  been  the  last  time,  as  it  probably  may  be  with 
some  of  my  hearers  if  not  myself."  "In  the  after- 
noon at  the  new  house  there  was  also  a  move  in  the 
congregation  whilst  I  enlarged  on  1  Cor.  iv,  10,  11.  I 
ordained  in  both  houses,  in  all,  eight  deacons  and 
seven  elders,  and  was  on  my  feet  six  hours  in  the  course 


140  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

of  tills  clay."  Tlie  next  day  he  turned  his  face  to  the 
South  again.*  The  report  at  this  Conference  was,  641 
whites,  145  coh)red;  in  all  78G,  31  more  than  the  year 
before.  There  had  been  a  number  of  conversions,  l)ut 
the  losses  on  account  of  the  Universalist  controversy  had 
to  be  set  olf  against  them.  G.  Roberts  and  A.  Nichols 
were  the  j^i'eachei-s  appointed ;  F.  Garrettson  and  S. 
Ilutchiuson  were  the  elders.  Andrew  Nicliols  entered 
Conference  in  1791,  and  traveled  in  Maryland  and  Vir- 
ginia until  his  appointment  to  New  York  in  1796.  He 
afterward  spent  three  years  on  Long  Island  and  two  in 
New  England,  and  in  1801  located.  AVe  are  told  he 
"  was  an  excellent  man  and  a  good  pastor  and  preacher."f 

*  Official  members  in  September,  1796,  from  a  list  in  Book  i,  B, 
p.  15,  by  \Y.  Leo  and  G.  Roberts : 

Local  Preachers,  William  Phoebus,  Daniel  Smitli,  "William  Valleau, 
Jesse  Oakley,  Thomas  Dawson,  Flanigan.  — —  Cody  (Cuddy?). 

Trustees,  John  Staples,  Henry  Newton,  Abraham  Russel,  John 
Sproson,  William  Valleau,  William  Cooper. 

Stewards,  John  Sproson,  Thomas  Carpenter,  John  Browcr. 

A  list  of  leaders  and  members  is  also  given.  There  were  thirty- 
eight  classes,  and  of  course  some  changes  in  the  leaders.  This  is  the 
last  list  we  have  until  the  new  century  begins. 

\  "Mr.  Nichols  resided  in  the  parsonage  at  Second  [now  Forsyth] 
Street.  The  preacher  was  going  to  hold  a  love-feast  in  the  church  one 
evening,  and  two  lads  wished  to  go  in.  In  those  days  none  were  ad- 
mitted unless  they  had  a  ticket  of  membership,  or  a  permit  from  tiie 
preacher.  Peter  Parks  was  then  sexton.  The  boys  concluded  if  they 
volunteered  to  help  him  brhig  water  and  attend  to  making  the  fires 
he  would  admit  them  into  the  love-feast.  After  they  had  assisted  him 
they  inquired  if 'they  could  not  go  into  the  love-feast."  "He  sent 
them  to  Mr.  Nichols  for  a  permit."  "He  treated  them  very  kindly, 
and  talked  to  them,  and  then  gave  them  permits.  The  love-feasts  in 
those  days  were  meetings  of  great  power.  One  of  the  boys  was  deaf 
and  dumb.  He  was  all  attention,  as  one  after  another  gave  in  their 
testimony;  he  watched  the  motion  of  their  lips  and  saw  the  expression 
of  joy  in  their  countenances;  and  though  he  could  not  hear  a  word  it 
had  a  powerful  efEect,  and  wlis  the  means  of  his  awakening  and  con- 


A  TiiiKi)  Gauxer.  141 

Other  incidents,  no  doubt,  besides  that  related  in  the 
preceding  note,  and  equally  interesting,  but  of  which 
we  have  no  record,  occurred  this  year,  for  it  was  a 
season  of  revival.  Asbury,  in  his  Journal,  under  date  of 
February  10, 1 797,  says,  "  Glad  tidings  of  great  joy  from 
New  York.  A  second  glorious  work  is  begun  there; 
twenty  souls  converted;  a  great  love-feast,  and  Sabbath 
evening  meeting  held  until  one  o'clock  in  the  morning." 
He  characteristically  observes,  February  17,  "  I  judge 
that  discipline,  and  the  doing  away  of  certain  things, 
have  contributed  somewhat  to  the  late  revival  of  relig- 
ion in  New  York."  In  the  last  of  July  he  came  to  the 
city  and  "  spent  a  few  painful  days,  being  unable  to  visit 
or  be  visited."  He  tried  to  go  on  to  the  Conference  at 
Wilbraham  (the  only  one  held  north  of  Philadelphia 
that  year,  and  therefore  that  at  wliich  the  New  York 
appointments  were  made),  but  was  unable.  He  re- 
mained, as  it  seems,  in  Westchester  County  until  the 
last  of  September,  when,  with  Jesse  Lee,  he  returned 
to  New  York,  "  where  they  were  eye-witnesses  to  the 
gracious  displays  of  God's  power  in  the  conversion  of 
souls."  ■•= 

Asbury's  journey  was  too  much  for  him.  He  found 
himself  "  much  injured,  but  was  well  nursed  at  the  north 
side  of  the  city.  They  have  a  touch  of  the  fever  in 
George  [now  Gpruce]  Street.     Sabbath,  October  1,  we 

version."  His  young  companion,  seeing  liim  so  happy,  wa^  also  led  to 
tlie  Saviour,  and  both  joined  the  church.  "  The  one  who  was  deaf  and 
dumb  would  watch  tlie  lips  of  the  preacher,  all  his  soul  would  be  in 
his  eyes,  and  he  would  enjoy  it  apparently  as  well  as  others.  He 
continued  faithful '  for  many  years '  and  then  fell  asleep."  His  young 
companion  was  for  a  long  time  a  steward  of  the  Forsyth  Street  Church, 
the  venerable  John  Haggadorn.  He  never  forgot  the  kindness  of  the 
preacher,  and  Peter  Parks,  the  sexton,  and  that  memorable  love-feast. 
— "Wakelcy's  Lost  Chapier.t,  p.  485. 
*  Memoir  of  J.  Lee,  ed.  of  1823,  p.  231. 


142  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

had  much  rain.  Live  or  die  I  preached  at  the  old  and 
new  church  on  Isa,  xxxiii,  20,  and  Dent,  xxviii,  9.  I 
liad  some  disagreeable  things,  and  was  but  ill-fitted  in 
body  to  bear  them." 

There  had  been  a  good  harvest  reaped  by  the  labor- 
ers. The  report  is  740  whites,  141  colored;  total  881, 
a  gain  of  95.  The  appointments  Avere,  G.  Roberts, 
J.  Wells,  W.  Beauchamp.  Sylvesier  Hutchinson  was 
presiding  elder  and  F.  Garrettson  elder.* 

Here  are  two  new  names,  both  noted  in  the  early  his- 
tory of  the  Church.  Joshua  Wells  was  "  an  able  and 
successful  laborer,  and  regarded  by  the  Church  with  pe- 
culiar reverence  through  a  singularly  long  life;"  but  was 
"so  modest,  if  not  morbidly  self-diffident,  as  scarcely 
ever  to  have  spoken  or  written  any  thing  respecting  him- 
self. He  was  born  in  Baltimore  County  in  1764,  joined 
the  itinerancy  when  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  died 
more  than  ninety-seven  years  old.  He  had  traveled  and 
preached  in  Virginia,  Maryland,  Delaware,  New  York, 
Pennsylvania,  and  Massachusetts,  as  far  as  Boston.  He 
became  at  last  the  oldest  living  preacher  whose  name  was 
on  the  roll  of  the  itinerancy.  He  was  dignified  and  robust 
in  person,  his  features  strongly  marked  and  yet  benig- 
nant. His  sermons  were  noted  for  their  perspicuity  and 
brevity,  their  masculine  sense,  clear  and  vigorous  argu- 
mentation and  effect.  He  was  distinguished  as  a  disci- 
plinaria^j."  f 

Joshua  Wells  had  a  veiy  high  opinion  of  his  colleague, 
William  Beauchamp.  At  a  General  Conference  to  which 
they  both  were  delegates  Wells  asserted  in  the  presence 
of  several  brethren  that  William  Beauchamp  had  more 
sense  than  any  other  member  of  that  General  Conference; 

*  George  Roberts  resided  at  91  Broad  Street,  and  J.  Wells  at  10  E. 
(rRorsre  Street. 

f  Stevens's  History  of  the  Metltodid  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  iii,  p.  111. 


A  Third  Garner.  143 

and  on  being  asKed  why  he  thought  so  his  reply  was,  "  He 
always  knows  when  to  speak  and  when  to  keep  silent."* 
And  this  high  praise  does  not  exceed  the  truth.  He  "  was 
a  man  of  genuine  greatness,  one  of  nature's  noblemen 
and  God's  elect."f  Born  in  1772,  entering  the  itinerancy 
in  1793,  he  labored  in  the  Middle  and  Eastern  States 
until  1801,  when  he  located.  In  1822  he  re-entered  the 
work  in  the  Missouri  Conference,  and,  having  served  one 
year  in  St.  Louis,  was  made  presiding  elder  of  the  In- 
diana District.  At  the  General  Conference  of  1824 
"such  was  the  impression  produced  by  his  remarkable 
character  and  talents  that  he  lacked  but  two  votes  of  an 
election  to  the  episcopal  office.  He  would  undoubtedly 
have  been  elected  were  it  not  for  the  objection  that  so 
large  a  portion  of  his  life  had  been  spent  out  of  the  itin- 
erancy." J  He  died  October  7,  1824,  in  the  fifty-third 
year  of  his  age.  He  has  been  called  "  the  Demosthenes 
of  the  West."§ 

Not  long  before  this  session  of  1797  a  new  church 
enterprise  was  taken  in  hand.  The  site  selected  was  in 
what  was  then  called  Barley  (nowDuane)  Street,  between 
Hudson  and  Greenwich  Streets,  and  seems  to  have  been 
the  property  of  Trinity  Church.  The  corner-stone  was 
laid  June  29,  1797,  after  a  sermon  by  Rev.  George 
Roberts  on  Psa.  xxiv,  3,  4,  "  Who  shall  ascend  into  the 
hill  of  the  Lord  ?  "  ||  etc.  But  another  statement  is  that 
the  words,  were  "  Lord,  I  have  loved  the  habitation," 
etc.^  This  building  was  at  first  called  the  "North 
River  Church"  and  the  "  Hudson  Church,"  but  after- 
ward for  many  years  was  known  among  the  Methodists 

*Tliomas  Scott  in  Sprague's  Annals  of  the  Methodist  Pulpit,  p.  239. 
^?>lQven&''s,  History  of  the  Alethodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  iv,  p.  29. 
\  Ibid.,  vol.  iv,  p.  31. 

§  Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  492.  ||  Ibid.,  p.  493. 

^See  editorial  in  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxii,  p.  114. 


144  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

as  "old  Duane  Street."  It  stood  until  1868,  when  the 
property  was  sold  and  a  small  building  erected  in  Hud- 
son, near  Spring  Street,  and  called  tlie  Duane  Church. 
There  the  congregation  still  worships. 

Tlie  original  edifice  was,  like  all  the  other  Methodist 
churches  in  New  York  at  that  time,  built  of  rough  stone 
covered  with  blue  stucco.  It  was  seventy-five  feet  long 
by  fifty-six  wide,  and  is  said  to  have  cost  about  1 10,000, 
Its  interior,  however,  was  different  from  that  of  the 
others.  The  upper  ceiling  over  the  side  galleries  was 
flat,  and  pillars  rose  from  the  front  of  the  galleries;  the 
center  part,  what  might  be  called  the  nave,  was  arched. 
The  pulpit,  of  course,  was  on  a  high  pillar.  A  goblet 
of  octagon  shape  and  a  long  stem  will  give  the  best 
idea  of  it.  It  was  entered  by  stairs  on  the  west  side,  and 
had  originally  a  sounding-board  over  it.  There  was  a 
side  door  on  the  right  of  the  pulpit.  The  basement  was 
at  first  used  for  bottling  ale  and  cider,*  but  afterward 
finished  for  lecture-room  and  class-rooms.  Abraham 
Russel  was  the  builder.  In  the  rear  Avas  a  small  burial- 
ground,  and  in  front  a  small  triangular  park,  which  gave 
it  altogether  the  most  attractive  location  of  any  Meth- 
odist church  in  New  York  at  that  time.f 

The  trustees  in  1798  were  William  Cooper,  P.  Areu- 

*  Tlie  late  John  Castree,  Esq. 

•j-Tlie  society  was  lively  and  earnest,  and  it  is  said  that  a  rich  and 
fashionable  lady,  passinor  in  her  carriage  while  the  congregation  was 
singing  "  Turn  to  the  Lord,  and  seek  salvation,"  was  convicted  and 
afterward  converted.  Soon  after  it  was  dedicated  a  young  mnn  at- 
tended out  of  curiosity.  Mr.  Roberts  preached  on  Jer.  ix,  1  :  "  0 
that  my  head  were  waters,"  etc.  The  sermon  was  pathetic  and  im- 
pressive ;  the  preacher  and  his  congregation  wept.  The  young  man 
was  awakened  and  soon  converted,  and  united  with  the  church.  He 
was  afterward  class-leader,  steward,  and  trustee,  and  lived  to  a  good 
old  age.  The  name  of  Eliphalet  "Wheeler  is  familiar  to  many  of  the 
present  generation. — Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  494. 


A  Third  Garner.  145 

larius,  P.  Hick,  Abi-aham  Russel,  Thomas  Carpenter, 
Israel  Disosway,  and  G.  Coutant.* 

Bishop  Asbury  was  in  the  city  in  June,  and  preached 
in  each  of  the  churches  and  met  the  classes.  He  says, 
"Tlie  weather  is  exceedingly  warm,  the  children  are 
dying,  and  probably  so  will  the  parents,  unless  God  sends 
rain.  I  live  Avholly  upon  vegetables  and  wear  flannel." 
"  Wednesday,  4.  This  day  we  had  sermons  in  all  the 
churches  of  the  Methodists;  I  had  a  meeting  with  the 
officiary  at  the  Bowery  [Forsyth  Street]  Church  in  the 
afternoon,  and  gave  them  a  sermon  on  1  Peter  v,  2." 
On  Sunday  he  preached  in  Brooklyn,  and  at  the  old 
church,  and  on  Monday  he  left  for  Westchester  County. 

Two  Conferences  were  held  north  of  Philadelphia  this 
year;  that  at  Granville,  Mass.,  must  have  been  the  one 
at  which  the  appointments  for  New  York  were  made. 
And  it  was  well  that  no  session  was  held  in  the  city,  for 
at  no  time  were  the  ravages  of  yellow  fever  there  greater 
than  in  1798.f 

*  Memoir  of  G-.  Coutant,  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xx,  p.  4. 

•j- Grant  Tliorburn  in  his  Life  and  Timts,  p.  54,  says:  "The  first 
alarm  was  given  on  the  26th  of  July.  By  the  15th  of  August  .four- 
teen cases  had  terminated  fatally.  By  the  25th  the  excitement  was 
terrible ;  the  ciiy  was  all  commotion.  Every  vehicle,  from  the  hum- 
ble dung-cart  to  the  gilded  carriage,  was  now  in  requisition,  removing 
families,  furniture,  and  goods ;  the  old  man  of  eighty,  with  llie  strip- 
ling of  one  year,  the  lame,  the  halt,  and  tlie  blind,  all  crowding  tlie 
boats,  the  lanes,  and  outlets  from  the  city,  fear  quickening  their 
pace,  and  the  destroying  angel  at  their  heels.  Huudreds  of  them  died 
in  the  towns  and  villages  around ;  but  not  one  instance  occurred  of 
any  iniiabitant  of  Albany,  Bergen,  or  Brooklyn  being  seized  by  this, 
as  it  was  called,  infectious  disease. "  "  Most  of  the  churches  were  shut 
up,"  but  he  says  (p.  62) :  "  Dr.  P.  [Pillmoor]  stood  like  a  son  of  thunder 
and  preached  every  Sabbath  day  in  the  church  in  Ann  Street.  The 
Methodists,  too,  in  John  Street,  those  sober-sided  old  fellows  wlio 
almost  preach  for  nothing  and  tind  themselves,  stood,  as  it  were,  be- 
tween the  living  and  the  dead.     Their  church  doors  were  seldom 


146  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Seven  hundred  and  fifty-three  whites  and  147  colored 
members  were  reported  in  1798;  in  all  900 — an  increase 
of  19.  J.  Wells,  G.  Roberts,  and  C.  Stebbins,  were  ap- 
pointed as  preachers,*  with  S.  Hutchinson  as  presid- 
ing elder.  The  only  new  name  among  these  is  that  of 
Stebbins,  who  joined  the  connection  in  1795,  and  with- 
drew to  enter  the  ministiy  of  the  Piotestant  Episcopal 
Church  in  1805.  The  reason  he  assigned  was  disbelief 
in  the  doctrine  of  Christian  perfection,  f 

Under  date  of  December  3  of  this  year  we  have  a  list 
of  "  Furniture  bought  for  the  parsonage-house  belong- 
ing to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  John  Street, 
New  York."  It  includes  crockery  of  various  kinds  and 
Avooden  and  iron  ware,  spoons,  a  coffee-mill,  a  brass  can- 
dlestick, and  "  one  pair  of  decanters  and  six  tumblers," 
in  all  about  forty  items,  valued  at  £23  12s.  3d.l 

closed.  In  the  quietness  of  the  da}'  and  stiUness  of  the  night  their 
noies  of  prayer  and  songs  of  praise  could  be  heard  for  many  blocks 
around.  In  this  there  was  something  soothing  to  the  poor  mortals 
who  were  standing  round  the  open  graves  waiting  till  death  came 
behind  and  pushed  them  in." 

*  They  are  all  sec  down  in  Directory  to  32  John  Street. 

■fWakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  500. 

^  Book  ii,  p.  I. 


A  Fourth  Garner.  147 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

A  FOURTH  GARNER— CONFERENCES  OF  1799  TO  1801. 

The  Conference  of  1799  was  held  on  June  19,  in  New 
York  city.*  Asbury  arrived  on  Saturday,  June  15,  and 
on  the  next  day  "  gave  a  short  exhortation  in  the  John 
Street  Church;  likewise  in  the  North  River  house.  It 
is  an  unseasonable  day  for  religion;  it  is  time  the  Con- 
ference should  come;  may  Almighty  God  bless  and  OAvn 
their  labors  to  the  people !  Wednesday,  1 9.  We  opened 
our  Conference  for  New  York  and  all  the  New  England 

*It  is  undoubtedly  of  this  session  that  the  Rev.  William  Thacher 
writes :  "  As  it  was  the  first  in  which  I  was  ever  honored  with  a  place 
and  seat,  I  will  give  a  brief  account.  About  a  dozen  of  us  Methodist 
preachers,  passengers  from  the  East,  landed  in  New  York,  and  made 
our  way  to  the  old  head-quarters  in  John  Street,  bearing  on  our  arms 
our  saddle-bags,  or  portmanteaus.  We  were  horseback  men;  we 
did  not  use  trunks  for  traveling  in  those  days.  Not  a  spice  of  dandy- 
ism was  seen  in  all  our  borders,  any  more  than  leavcTi  in  a  Jewish 
passover ;  we  were  all  plain  men,  plain  enough.  We  were  welcomed 
into  the  little  old  parsonage  in  John  Street  by  the  venerable  Rev. 
Thomas  Morrell  and  Joshua  Wells,  ministers  in  the  station.  Brothei 
Wells  took  us  as  he  found  us,  '  bag  and  baggage,"  formed  us  rank  ami 
file,  and  placed  himself  as  the  captain,  at  the  head  of  the  companj 
(we  were  in  Methodist  preachers'  uniform),  m  military  style.  Oui 
walk,  especially  through  Chatham  Street,  seemed  to  attract  attention 
and  excite  notoriety.  We  were  soon  disposed  of.  My  home  was  with 
a  good  old  Welsh  brother  in  Henry  Street,  named  John  Davies. 
June  19.  This  morning  a  new  scene  opened  to  my  view — a  Confer- 
ence at  the  old  hive  of  Methodism,  the  old  John  Street  meeting-house, 
that  holy  place  where  I  felt,  eight  years  before,  the  Holy  Ghost  say 
to  me.  for  the  first  time,  'Go  thou  and  preach  the  Gospel!'  What  a  con- 
gregation of  Methodist  preachers  I  what  greeting  I  what  love  beaming 


148  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

States.  The  Conference  was  crowded  with  work;  con- 
sequently I  had  but  little  rest,  and  what  added  to  my 
pain  was  Brother  Bostwick's  lying  sick  in  the  next 
room; — ^lieat  and  haste.  Sunday,  23.  We  had  a  chari- 
table day  at  all  the  houses,  and  collected  nearly  $300;  but 
the  deficiencies  of  the  preachers  were  almost  81,000. 
I  attempted  to  preach  a  little  on  Phil,  iv,  13,  and  gave 
an  exhortation  at  the  Bowery  Church.  I  met  the  society 
at  the  old  church  at  night.     The   excessive  heat  made 

ia  every  eye!  what  gratulation,  what  rejoicing,  what  solemnity!  The 
clock  strikes  nine.  We  are  seated  in  the  sanctuary,  in  Conference 
order,  around  tlie  sacred  altar,  within  which  sits  the  venerable  As- 
bury,  Bible  in  hand.  A  chapter  read,  a  hymn  sung,  we  kneel.  How 
solemn,  how  awful!  How  devout  the  prayer!  What  solemn  amcns  are 
responded!  What  a  divine  effusion  !  Inspiration  seems  to  pervade 
the  whole.  The  prayer  closed,  we  arose  and  were  seated;  the  secre- 
tary calls  the  list  of  names;  each  responded,  and  how  interesting  to 
hear  my  own  name  in  that  book  of  life !  The  various  business  of  Con- 
ference now  engages  our  prayerful  attention,  conducted  by  the  bishop, 
our  president.  Six  hours  each  day  for  the  transaction  of  the  regular 
Conference  business,  from  nine  o'clock  to  twelve,  and  from  three  to 
six  in  the  afternoon.  K  jch  session  opened  with  reading  the  Script- 
ures, singing  and  prayer,  and  closed  with  prayer." — Wakeley's  Lost 
Chapters,  p.  490.  Mr.  W.,  however,  assigns  this  to  1797,  and 
Stevens's  History  of  the  Mdhodui  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  iii,  p.  439, 
follows  him.  But  the  Conference  did  not  meet  in  New  York  city 
that  }'car,  nor  was  it  held  iu  the  mo  .th  of  June,  but  in  September; 
and  Joshua  Wells  had  not  yet  been  stationed  there.  He  came  in  1797 
and  continued  until  1799.  Thomas  Morrell,  it  is  true,  was  not  one  of 
the  New  York  preachers  when  the  Conference  of  1799  met;  neither 
was  he  at  that  of  1797.  Either  the  last  9  lias  been  mistaken  for  a  7 
or  Mr.  Thacher  was  iu  error  as  to  his  date.  It  is  true  he  was  received 
on  trial  in  1797  ;  but  probationers  were  not  then  expected  to  attend 
the  Conference.  1799,  when  he  was  received  in  full  and  ordained 
deacon,  was  most  likely  his  first  introduction  to  the  Conference.  It 
was  certainly  the  first  in  wliich  he  could  truly  say  he  was  '-honored 
with  a  spat."  As  Mr.  T.  w:is  not  received  into  full  connection  until 
this  Conference  his  name  co\ild  not  have  been  called  at  the  opening 
session  unless  the  usage  was  ditterent  then. 


A  Fourth  Garxer.  149 

us  wish  and  haste  to  leave  town."  Jesse  Lee  says,  "  We 
had  a  good  Conference;"  "  a  large  number  of  preachers  " 
were  present,  "  and  they  brought  pleasing  accounts  of  a 
gracious  work  of  God."* 

The  bishop's  despondent  remarks  will  prepare  us  for 
an  unfavorable  report  of  members.  They  stood,  whites, 
646  ;  colored,  172;  total  818— a  loss  of  82.  The  preach- 
ers appointed  were  J.  McClaskey,  T.  F.  Sargent,  and  M. 
Coate.     S.  Hutchinson  continued  as  presiding  elder. 

Here  are  three  new  names,  all  worthy  of  notice.  John 
McClaskey  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1756,  converted  in 
Salem,  N.  J.,  admitted  on  trial  in  1786,  and  had  labored 
in  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  and  Delaware  before  he 
came  to  New  York.  After  spending  three  years  there 
he  filled  various  appointments  as  preacher  and  presiding 
elder,  and  died  in  1814,  while  on  the  Chesapeake  Dis- 
trict. He  was  a  large  man,  of  commanding  appearance, 
with  fine  flowing  hair  and  a  manly  voice.  In  1802f  he 
preached  in  the  old  John  Street  Church  before  the  Con- 
ference on  a  fast-day.  His  theme  was,  "  W  eeping  be- 
tween the  porch  and  the  altar;"  and  while  he  show^ed 
why  ministers  should  weep  a  great  baptism  of  tears 
came  upon  his  hearers. J 

Thomas  F.  Sargent  was  born  in  Maryland,  April  10, 
1776,  converted  in  his  eighteenth  year,  and  shortly  after 
entered  the  ministr3\  After  leaving  New  York  city  he 
went  to  Boston,  then  again  to  New  York  in  1802,  and 
to  Philadelphia  in  1803.  He  was  afterward  in  Balti- 
more, Alexandria,  Georgetown,  and  again  in  Philadel- 

*  Memoirs  of  Lee,  p.  252,  edition  of  1823. 

f  Dr.  Wakeley  in  Loit  Chapters,  p.  509,  says  1810 ;  but  see  Asbiiry's 
Journal,  June  5,  1802. 

X  Wakeley's  Lost  Cfiapters,  p  508;  Stevens's  HMory  of  the  Mdh- 
odist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  iii,  p.  134;  Sprague's  Annals  of  Method- 
ist Pulpit;  Annual  Minutes. 


150  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

phia.  In  1813  lie  located  and  began  to  practice  medicine 
in  Philadelphia.  In  1832  he  re-entered  the  Conference, 
and  in  1833  was  transferred  to  the  Ohio  Conference  and 
appointed  supernumerary  in  Cincinnati,  where  he  died 
of  apoplexy  December  29,  1833,  while  preaching  from 
the  words,  "  How  shall  we  escape  if  we  neglect,"  etc. 
"  His  stature  was  about  six  feet,  his  figure  portly  and  im- 
posing, his  featui'es  were  handsome,  and  the  whole  con- 
tour of  his  countenance  indicated  a  natural  nobility  and 
generosity.  He  appeared  like  one  born  to  command." 
He  was  highly  esteemed  as  a  preacher,  especially  by  the 
most  intelligent  and  pious  of  his  hearers.  He  was  the 
father  of  the  amiable  and  excellent  Thomas  B.  Sargent, 
afterward  of  the  Baltimore  Conference.* 

Michael  Coate  was  of  Quaker  ancestry,  born  in  Bur- 
lington, N.  J.,  in  1*767,  converted  .in  1794,  and  the  next 
year  admitted  on  trial  in  the  Conference.  He  labored 
in  New  York  State,  New  England,  and  Canada,  until 
his  appointment  to  the  city  in  1799.  He  was  again  in 
New  York  in  1801  and  also  in  1803-4,  where  his  labors 
were  very  acceptable.  He  died  in  1814,  while  presiding 
elder  of  the  West  Jersey  District.  Bishop  Iledding 
says,  "  He  was  a  man  of  great  talents."  f 

Of  the  events  of  the  succeeding  Conference  year  not 
the  smallest  particle  of  information  can  be  discovered. 
It  seems  not  to  have  been  a  very  successful  one,  as  the 
report  for  1800  is,  whites,  645  ;  colored,  131 ;  total  776 — a 
decrease  of  42.  At  the  Conference,  however,  which  met 
in  the  city  on  Thursday,  June  19,  Bishop  Asbury  says: 

*Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  511  ;  Stevens's  History  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  vol.  iii,  p.  140;  Spragne's  Annals  of  the  Meth- 
odist Pulpit. 

f  Stevens's  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  iii,  p.  476 ; 
W.Tkeley's  Lost  C/iapters,  p.  517;  Sprague's  Annals  of  the  Methodist 
Pulpit, 


A  Fourth  Garner.  151 

"  Tuesday,  24.  We  have  liad  a  miglity  stir  in  the  Bowery 
I  Forsyth  Street]  Church  for  two  nights  past,  until  after 
midnight;  perhaps  twenty  souls  have  found  the  Lord." 
Bishop  Whatcoat,  who  had  been  ordained  to  the  epis- 
copacy at  the  preceding  General  Conference,  was  with 
Aslniry,  preaching  the  ordination  sei'mon  at  the  Bowery 
Church,  and  departing  with  him  on  the  28th  for  a  tour 
through  New  England.  They  reached  the  city  on  their 
return  on  Saturday,  August  IG,  and,  Asbury  says,  "  found 
our  service  was  wanting  in  the  city,  there  being  here 
only  two  preachers,  and  one  of  them  disabled."  *  The 
disabled  one  was  probably  S.  Hutchinson,  though  we 
have  no  positive  evidence,     Freeborn  Garrettson  was 

♦Only  two  preachers  in  New  York?  But  tlireo  were  appointed  at 
tlie  Conference — John  McChiskej',  J.  Lee,  and  S.  Hutchinson.  Lee 
gives  us  light  on  tliat  matter.  He  says  in  Ins  Journal:  "Saturdaj-, 
21,  we  sat  in  Conference  again,  and  tlie  bisliop  put  a  few  hues  pri- 
vately into  my  hand,  which  I  here  transcribe  verbatim:  'Jesse  Lee  is 
appointed  to  act  as  an  assistant  to  the  bisiiops,  at  the  yearly  Confer- 
ences, and  to  aid  the  book  interest  in  every  part  of  the  continent 
where  he  goes. 

"  '  Dear  Brother:  We  wish  to  close  the  Minutes  in  York,  if  we 
can;  you  must  have  some  place  therein;  will  the  above  do?  York 
will  be  a  blank  at  present.  If  you  choose  to  stay  uniil  you  think  it 
meet  to  go  down  South  you  may;  and  more,  you  may  make  your 
own  appointment  South,  and  omit  going  eastward,  or  go  if  you  choose 
to  the  East,  or  if  you  choose  you  may  come  to  Kentucky. 

"  'Francis  Asbuhy. 

"  '  Saturday  morning.  Richard  Whatcoat.'  " 

Lee  tells  us :  "I  then  wrote  them  a  few  lines,  and  informed  them  that 
I  did  not  feel  altogether  at  liberty  to  take  the  iippointnient  or  to  travel 
at  large,  but  if  I  had  any  choice,  it  was,  after  making  a  visit,  to  the 
East,  to  take  a  single  circuit." — Memoirs  of  J.  Lee,  p.  273  (edition  of 
1823).  His  name  therefore  was  put  down  for  New  York,  and  a  few- 
days  after  he  started  on  his  New  England  visit,  reaching  New  York 
again  on  October  14,  where  he  remained  until  the  3d  of  March  1801, 
when  he  left  for  the  South  {Ibid.,  pp.  278-282).  Thus  there  were  but 
two  preachers  in  the  city  when  the  bishops  arrived  iu  August. 
11 


152  A  History  op  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

presiding  elder.  Of  him,  and  all  the  other  preachers 
connected  with  New  York  city  this  year,  except  Jesse 
Lee,  notices  have  already  been  given. 

Lee's  connection  with  New  York  Methodism  was,  as 
we  have  seen,  but  little  more  than  nominal;  yet  he  is  too 
prominent  a  figure  in  the  history  of  the  general  Church 
to  be  left  unnoticed.  Born  in  Virginia  in  1758,  and  con- 
verted in  boyhood,  he  preached  his  first  sermon  when 
about  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  became  an  itinerant 
in  1*782.  For  seven  years  he  labored  in  Virginia,  the 
Carolinas,  and  Maryland,  and  in  1789  entered  upon  his 
great  work  in  New  England,  where  his  success  was  so 
decided  that  he  has  properly  been  regarded  as  the  apos- 
tle of  Methodism  in  that  section.  In  1801  he  returned 
to  the  Virginia  Conference,  nnd  served  in  that  region  as 
preacher  and  presiding  elder  until  his  death,  on  Septem- 
ber 12,  1816.  For  three  years  he  was  chaplain  to  the 
House  of  Representatives,  and  one  year  to  the  Senate. 
His  last  appointment  was  at  Annapolis,  Md.  He  was  a 
man  of  large  frame,  of  impressive  appearance,  and  of 
great  ability  and  zeal.  His  tact  and  humor  were  re- 
markable.    He  lived  and  died  a  bachelor. 

Lee  gives  a  statement  of  tlie  condition  of  Methodism 
in  New  York  at  this  time,  Avhich  may  very  appropriately 
come  in  on  this  the  closing  year  of  the  century.  After 
a  brief  sketch  of  the  origin  of  the  John  Street  Church 
he  says:  "We  have  now  five  liouses  of  piiblic  worship. 
The  first  church  is  commonlj^  called  the  Old  Church ;  the 
second  is  called  the  Bowery;  the  third,  the  North  River 
Church;  the  fourth  is  called  the  Two-mile  Stone,  being 
two  miles  from  the  center  of  the  city.  The  fifth  is 
the  African  Church,  Avhich  was  erected  by  the  people  of 
color  for  themselves  to  worship  in;  yel  they  are  to  be 
governed  by  the  Methodists  in  all  their  spiritual  mattei'S. 
But  they  themselves  are  to  settle  their  temporal  matters. 


A  Fourth  Garner.  153 

This  cliurch  w;is  built  in  the  hitter  part  of  the  past  year. 
Besides  these  houses  we  have  a  eharity  school  of  thirty 
poor  children  supported  by  the  society,*  and  several 
dwelling-houses  belonging  to  the  society.  Tiiree  travel- 
ing preachers  are  stationed  in  the  city,  and  are  assisted 
by  several  local  preachers."f  Among  these  local  preach- 
ei-s  were  William  Phoebus,  Henry  J,  Feltus,  James  Flan- 
agan, Thomas  Dawson,  William  Valleau,  and  others.^ 

Here  we  have  notice  of  two  churches  of  which  no 
history  has  been  given.  One  of  these  is  what  is  now 
called  Seventh  Street. 

In  the  early  days  of  New  York  the  miles  were  mieas- 
iired  from  the  site  of  the  old  Federal  Hall,  where  the 
United  States  Treasury  building  now  stands,  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Wall  and  Nassau  Streets.  This  brought  the  two- 
mile  stone  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  present  Cooper 
Institute,  and  a  settlement  sprang  up  there  called  Two- 
mile  Stone,  or  Bowery  Village  or  the  Forks  of  the  Bow- 
ery. Shortly  after  the  Revolution  some  members  of 
the  Coutant  family  removed  from  New  Rochelle  and 
opened  a  store,  nearly,  if  not  exactly,  on  the  ground  now 
occupied  by  the  Coopei'  building.  About  1 7S8  or  1789  § 
Mrs.  Jane,  the  Avife  of  Mr.  John  Coutant,  was  convert- 
ed, and  so(m  after  Mrs.  Giindlemeyer,  Mrs.  Romaine, 
and  Mrs.  Hallet.  A  local  preacher,  William  Yalleau,  || 
formed  a  class  and  preached  for  them  occasionally.  The 
meetings  were  held  in  an  upper  room  of  the  house 
of  John  and  Gilbert  Coutant,  and  soon  they  and  their 

*  This  is  the  eariiest  notice  of  the  Charily  Seliool  to  be  found. 

f  Memoirs  of  Jesse  Lee,  p.  282,  edition  of  1823. 

X  Wakeley's  Loxt  Chapters,  p.  524. 

§As  there  has  been  some  question  as  to  tliis  date,  it  may  be  well 
to  say  that  in  the  oldest  Record  Book  of  members  (Book  i,  A,  p.  81) 
we  read  in  a  list  of  "  Members  received  and  read  in  by  T.  Morrell, 
1789,  June  21,"  John  Coutant,  .Tane  Coutant. 

II  Not  Veloe,  as  the  name  is  frequently  spelled. 


154  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

mother,  Mrs.  Henry  Coutant.  were  added  to  the  little 
society,  and  also  Southwick  Hebbard,  Oliver  Hebbard, 
John  Vark,  Joseph  Graham,   Oliver  Hyde,  and  their 

wives.* 

*Tlie  first  class  list  that  survives  is  found  in  a  record  made  by- 
James  MauD,  dated  November  10,  1791.  It  is  No.  21,  the  last 
in  the  list  of  classes  of  whites.  It  reads:  William  Yalleau,  L'r, 
Jno.  Coutant,  Jno.  Vark,  Jane  Coutant,  Eliz'th  Coutant,  Johu  Haly, 
Abigail  Grindlemire,  Gilbert  Coutant,  Aran  Coutant,  Sarah  Hallet, 
Joseph  Graham,  Ehz'tli  Hubberd,  Philip  Remiiie,  Oliver  Hubberd, 
Jno.  Fenngan.  There  are  several  orthographical  errors  in  this  list. 
Aran  should  probably  be  Aaron,  the  two  Hubberds  should  be 
Hebard  or  Hebbard,  Remine  sliould  be  Romaine,  Grindlemire 
should  be  Grindlemeyer,  and  probably  for  Jno.  Fenngan  we 
should"  read  John  Fiiinegan.  One  of  that  name  landed  in  New 
York  from  Ireland  August  12,  1791,  joined  the  New  York  Con- 
ference in  1795,  and  died  August  14,  1838.  Again,  in  a  class  list  of 
179H,  June  1,  in  the  writing  of  Thomas  Morrell — "No.  8 — Two-mile 
Stone  Class."  William  Yalleau  is  still  leader,  and  besides  the  names 
in  the  first  list  we  iiave  Gathroad  (probably  Gertrude)  Yarck,  Cath. 
Romine  (twice),  Mariam  Somendyke.  Eleanor  Hubbard,  Abel  Hol- 
brook,  John  Hayley,  P'red.  Dickerman.  In  September,  1795,  tiie  class 
is  numbered  5,  and  William  Cooper  is  the  leader,  and  we  have  the 
addilioual  names  of  Henry  Coutant,  Fanny  Graham,  Peggy  Bauty, 
Abbj'  Hebbert,  Hanna  Headen,  Eliz'th  Hoglan,  Magdelin  Sullivan, 
Wm.  Palmer,  John  Grant,  and  Frcne  Romaine.  And  once  again,  in 
September,  1796,  we  have  a  list  by  W.  Lee  and  G.  Roberts,  in  wliich 
class  No.  14  has  for  its  leader  Joseph  Graham,  and  its  members  are  John 
Coutant,  Gilbert  Coutant,  Oliver  Hubbert,  William  Pajmore  (Palmer), 
Oliver  Hyde,  Henry  Coutant,  James  McKeaver,  Lewis  Cox,  John 
Andrews,  Southwick  Hubbert,  John  Steward,  William  Scott,  Nicholas 
Taylerson.  Then  follows  class  15,  with  John  Yark  for  leader  and  the 
following  members  ;  Hannah  Graham,  Eliz'th  Hubbert,  Sarah  Hallet, 
Eliz'tli  Coutant,  Hannah  Heaton,  Catharine  Romine,  Freii_v  Romine, 
Peggy  Banttj^  Catharine  Hyde,  Sally  Cox,  Margaret  Andrews,  Catha- 
rine Boyce,  and  Catliarine  Yark.  Tiiese  lists  have  been  given  as  of 
interest,  especially  to  the  members  of  Seventii  Street.  It  is  the  only 
case  in  which  tiie  membership  connected  with  any  of  otir  old  houses 
of  worsliip  can  be  distinguished  from  the  rest.  It  will  be  seen  that 
they  correct  some  errors  into  which  several  writers  on  the  history  ot 


A  Fourth  Garner.  155 

The  growing  society  needed  a  house  in  which  to  wor- 
ship, and  in  1795  a  two-story  building  was  erected,  the 
upper  part  designed  for  school  purposes,  and  the  place 
became  a  regular  appointment  on  the  plan  of  the  circuit. 
This  house  stood  on  what  was  called  Nicholas-William 
Street,  named  after  a  member  of  the  Stuyvesant  family, 
who  owned  much  of  the  property  in  the  neighborhood. 
It  ran  nearly  on  the  line  of  the  present  Eighth  Street, 
from  the  old  Bowery  Road  toward  the  East  River. 
Mrs.  J.  S.  Peck,  a  daughter  of  Gilbert  Coutant,  gives 
the  following  account  of  her  recollections  of  this  l)uild- 
ing.  She  says,  "  It  had  a  cupola  and  a  bell,  to  call  the 
children  to  school"  (to  use  it  to  summon  to  public  wor- 
ship would  have  horrified  the  Methodists  of  that  day). 
"The  lower  floor  was  a  meeting-house"  (not  a  church). 
"  The  entrance  was  a  double  door  to  a  lobby  and  a 
smaller  door  to  the  place  of  worship."  There  were  "  a 
dozen  or  fifteen  seats  on  each  side  of  the  aisle,  not 
painted,  and  a  strip  about  four  inches  wide  across  the 
back."  There  were  "  four  windows  on  each  side."  The 
pulpit  was  reached  by  three  steps.  "The  side-lights 
Avei-e  of  tin,  about  a  foot  high  and  four  inches  wide,  at 
the  bottom  a  socket  to  hold  the  candle."  "  There  was  a 
chandelier,  with  a  center-piece  about  as  large  as  a  quart 

Seventh  Street  have  fallen,  because  tliey  had  to  depend  on  traditions, 
whereas  these  items  are  from  the  records.  Thns  Joseph  Graham 
was  not  the  first  class-leader ;  William  Yalleau  and  William  Cooper 
preceded  him.  Anthony  Tieman  was  not  a  member  until  1812,  and 
Michael  Floy  not  until  1810;  and  though  Michael  Floy,  Jr.,  and 
James  Floy  are  not  directly  stated  to  have  been  among  the  earlier 
members,  the  position  their  names  occupy  would  lead  to  that  conclu- 
sion, whereas  M.  Floy,  Jr.,  joined  in  September,  1828,  and  James  Floy 
in  1831.  It  may  be  well  also  tiiat  it  should  bo  known  that  more 
exact  information  on  some  of  these  matters  of  the  early  iiistory  of 
Metlindism  in  New  York  is  obtainable. — Book  1,  B,  pp.  54,  59,  and 
39  and  17. 


156  A  History  op  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

measure,  painted  light  blue,  with  three  or  four  branches 
with  candles."  Ou  one  occasion,  when  Bishop  Asbury 
preached  there  during  Conference,  he  was  so  feeble  he 
had  to  sit,  and  she  was  sent  home  for  a  bench  to  place 
on  the  seat.* 

During  the  yellow  fever  of  1798  many  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  city  moved  to  this  neighborhood,  and  some 
probably  remained,  thus  adding  to  the  strength  of  the 
society.  The  Rev.  Dr.  John  Livingston,  of  the  Dutch 
Reformed  Church,  took  refuge  there,  and  often  preached 
in  the  little  meeting-house,  Avearing  his  black  silk  gown. 
But  the  rest  of  the  history  of  this  church  must  be  left 
for  a  future  page. 

The  other  building  of  which  Jesse  Lee  speaks  was  the 
African  Church.  "In  the  year  1796  the  colored  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  churches  in  the  city,  feeling  a  desire 

*Mrs.  Peck  sitys  this  was  in  1803.  But  tliut  3-ear  the  Conference 
met  at  Amenia.  It  was  at  New  York,  in  1809,  and  again  in  1811,  and 
then  Bishop  Asbury  writes  iu  his  Journal  that  lie  preached  at  Two- 
mile  Stone.     Perhaps  this  was  the  occasion  she  refers  to. 

The  followini,'  items  from  the  note-book  of  Peter  Badeau  are  given 
by  Dr.  Bottome  in  an  historical  sermon  preached  in  186-4,  p.  13: 
'' '  Henry  Coutant,  the  father  of  the  Coutant  family,  died  in  1803,  aged 
seventy-six  years ;  and  his  wife  about  seventy.  John  Coutant  died 
of  yellow  fever,  aged  thirty-six;  and  his  wife  survived  him  fifty-six 
years,  dying  in  1854:,  in  the  ninety-second  year  of  her  age.  Joseph 
Graham  died  in  1844,  aged  eighty  years;  and  his  wife  in  1853,  aged 
eighty-four.  Oliver  Hebbard  died  in  1831,  aged  sixty-three;  and  his 
wife  outlived  liim  eighteen  years,  dying  at  jength  very  suddenly  of 
cholera  in  1849,  aged  eighty-three.  Southwick  Hebbard  died  a  few 
years  ago,  a  very  old  man.  Brother  Vark  and  his  wife  have  been 
dead  many  years,  and  were  aged  people.  Brother  Donaldson  died  in 
1845,  aged  seventy-seven  years.  Sisters  Romaine  and  Hallet  also 
lived  to  be  very  old  and  much  respected.'  And  to  complete  the  list 
should  be  added  Mrs.  Donaldson,  yet  with  us,  in  her  eighty-sixth  year. 
Peter  Badeau  is  eighty-seven  years  of  age,  Henry  Palmer  eighty,  and 
liis  wile  .eeventy-six."  Mrs.  Peck  says  that  her  father,  Gilbert  Cou- 
tant, died  in  1845,  aged  eighty. 


A  P'ouRTii  Garner.  157 

to  hold  meetings  among  themselves,  where  they  might 
have  opportunity"  to  exercise  their  spiritual  gifts,  and 
thereby,  as  they  hoped,  become  more  useful  to  each 
other,  obtained  permission  from  Bishop  Asbury  to  hold 
such  meetings  in  the  intervals  of  the  regular  preaching 
hours  of  the  white  ministers.  Accordingly,  a  house  was 
hired  and  fitted  up  in  Cross  Street,  between  Mulberry 
and  Orange  Streets,  where  meetings  were  statedly  held. 
At  this  time  there  were  three  colored  preachers  and  one 
exhorter  in  New  York  city."  In  about  three  years  a 
regular  congregation  was  gathered,  and  a  house  of  wor- 
ship called  Zion's  Church  was  built  on  Church  Street, 
corner  of  Leonard  Street,  and  opened  in  September,  1800. 
In  1820  a  larger  building  was  erected,  which  was  burned 
in  1839.*  Tills  congregation  now  occupies  a  very  good 
edifice,  bought  of  the  Reformed  Dutch,  at  the  corner  of 
West  10th  and  Bleecker  Streets. 

Of  incidents  relating  to  the  current  year  nothing  can 
be  gleaned  from  the  records  we  have.  The  "  Old  Book  " 
had  ceased  to  testify  since  1795;  the  next  in  order  does 
not  begin  to  give  evidence  until  1 802 ;  so  that  we  are  pass- 
ing through  "seven  years  of  famine"  as  to  what  oc- 
curred in  tlie  Church  in  New  York.  The  new  century 
was  opening  ;  thirty-four  years,  about  a  generation,  had 
passed  since  Methodism  began  in  the  city;  instead  of 
the  fathers  already  there  were  their  children;  but  among 
all,  old  or  young,  nothing  but  prophetic  vision  could 
have  discerned  the  wonderful  progress  that  would  be 
made  in  the  nineteenth  century. 

*Greenlears  History  of  (he  Churches  of  Mw  York,  p.  321. 


158  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City 


CHAPTER   XV. 

SIX  FRUITFUL  YEARS— CONFERENCES  OF  1801  TO  1807. 

At  the  Conference  of  1801,  which  met  in  New  Yoi-k 
on  June  16,  the  membership  in  the  city  was  reported  as 
685  w  hites,  150  colored  ;  total,  835 — a  gain  of  59  in  the 
preceding  year  and  of  835  since  the  beginning,  to  say 
nothing  of  those  who  had  finished  their  course.*  For 
the  firist  time  since  the  organization  of  the  Church,  as 
far  as  we  can  learn.  Bishop  Asbury  was  not  able  to  at- 
tend the  New  York  Conference.  He  was  detained  in 
Philadelphia  with  a  lame  foot.  The  session  was  held 
in  John  Street  Church,  Bishop  Whatcoat  presiding.f 
F.  Garrettson  remained  as  presiding  elder,  and  John 
McClaskey,  T.  Moriell,  D.  Ostrander,  M.  Coate  were  the 
stationed  preachers.;];     Of  these  names  only  one  is  new. 

The  slender  limbs,  low  stature,  dark  complexion, 
keen  eye,  and  excellent  voice  of  the  Rev.  Daniel  Os- 
trander will  be  remembered  by  many  of  the  older 
l)reachers  and  laymen.  Born  in  1772,  converted  at  the 
age  of  sixteen,  and  entering  the  traveling  connection  in 
1793,  he  became  a  prominent  member  of  the  New  York 
Conference.  He  spent  five  years  in  all  in  the  pastoral 
Avoi-k  in  the  city,  and  eight  years   as  presiding  elder  of 

*  There  were  7  Conferences,  307  preachers,  nnd  72,874  members. 
The  total  membership  in  Europe  and  America  wtis  196,302. — Annual 
Minutes,  1801. 

f  Clark's  Life  of  Hedding,  p.  86. 

\  J.  McChiskey  made  his  home  at  32  John  Street,  D.  Ostrander  at 
303  Greenwich  Street,  near  tlie  North  (Diiane  Street)  Church,  and 
Morrcll,  proi-'ably,  lived  near  tlie  Forsyth  Street  Church. 


Six  Fruitful  Years.  159 

the  New  York  District.  He  was  an  able  preacher,  and 
a  man  of  strong  will  and  much  influence  in  the  Con- 
ference. He  died  December  8,  1843.  His  son-in-law, 
Rev.  Ira  Ferris,  will  also  be  remembered  as  a  useful 
minister  of  Christ,  and  the  Rev.  D.  O.  Ferris,  his  grand- 
son, is  a  member  of  the  New  Yoi'k  East  Conference. 

Of  the  year  that  followed  we  have  only  one  or  two 
items  of  information.  "  1802,  9  March.  The  church 
debt  reported  to  the  societ}",  £2,487  35.  liV  *  Some 
time  in  1802  the  Rev.  Joshua  Marsden,  a  distinguished 
English  Methodist  preacher,  visited  the  city  for  the  first 
time.  It  would  seem  that  he  arrived  before  the  session 
of  the  Confei-ence,  as  he  says  :  "  I  Avas  greatly  surprised 
to  meet,  in  the  preachers  assembled  at  New  York,  such 
examples  of  simplicity,  laboi',  and  self-denial.  Some 
of  them  had  come  five  or  six  hundred  miles  to  attend 
the  Conference.  They  had  little  appearance  of  clerical 
costume;  many  of  them  had  not  a  single  article  of 
black  cloth;  their  good  bishops  set  them  the  example, 
neither  of  whom  were  dressed  in  black."  "  The  bish- 
ops, Asbury  and  Whatcoat,  were  plain,  simple,  vener- 
able persons,  both  in  dress  and  manners.  Their  cos- 
tume was  that  of  former  times,  the  color  drab,  the 
waistcoat  with  large  laps,  and  both  coat  and  waistcoat 
without  any  collar  ;  their  plain  stocks  and  low-crowned, 
broad-brimmed  hats  bespoke  their  deadness  to  the  tri- 
fling ornaments  of  dress."  "They  spoke  but  little,  and 
appeared  utterly  averse  to  the  frivolous  compliments  of 
the  world."  "  Most  of  the  preachers  appeared  to  be 
young  men,  yet  ministerial  labor  had  impressed  its 
withering  seal  upon  their  countenances."  He  then 
speaks  of  the  great  work  Methodism  was  doing  in  the 
United  States.f 

*  Book  ii,  p.  120. 

f  Stevens's  History  of  the  Mtthodint  Episcopal  Churcli,  vol.  iv,  p.  186. 


160  A  IlrsTOUY  OF  Metiiodis5i  IX  Xew  York  City. 

Tuesday,  May  26,  1802,  Asbury  tells  us,  "We  came 
to  New  Yoi-k,  and  took  up  our  lodging  at  Mr.  Suck- 
ley's."  "My  first  public  exercise  in  the  city  was  in  the 
African  church,  a  very  neat  wooden  house,  but  by  far 
too  small.  My  text  was  Eph.  ii,  11-14."  How  appro- 
priate it  was  will  be  seen  if  sought  out  and  read. 
"Friday,  28,  I  spoke  in  John  Street  upon  1  Thess. 
ii,  4-9."  Another  appropriate  text.  "Sunday,  30. 
The  death  of  Sarah  Hutchinson  gave  occasion  to  my 
preaching  her  funeral  sermon  at  the  Bowery  (Forsyth 
Street)  Church,  in  the  afternoon.  The  deceased  was 
the  daughter  of  Frederick  Devoue  (Deveau),  whose 
house  and  family-  in  Xew  Rochelle  wei*e  the  first  to  re- 
ceive and  welcome  the  Methodist  preachers."  She 
"died  very  happy  in  God."  "Tuesday,  June  1,  we 
opened  our  yearly  Conference  in  John  Street  meeting- 
house, and  continued  our  labors  in  great  peace  and 
union."  "  Saturday,  5,  we  had  a  day  of  solemn  fasting 
and  prayer  for  the  Church,  the  Conference,  the  conti- 
nent, and  for  the  world,  upon  the  eve  of  which  I  preached 
from  2  Cor.  ii,  14,  15,  with  great  plainness,  and  so 
much  fire  as  to  make  my  earthly  tabernacle  very  rest- 
less through  the  night.  John  McClaskey  gave  us  the 
first  sermon  on  Joel  ii,  15-17.*  Sunday,  6,  we  had  a 
love-feast  at  eight  o'clock,  preaching  at  ten  o'clock,  and 
sacrament  at  twelve  o'clock;  some  good  shakings  went 
through  the  house,  but  there  was  nothing  very  signal. 
The  collection  for  the  preachers  gave  occasion  to  a 
sermon,  which  I  must  needs  preach  ;  it  was  done  on 
1  Cor.  xvi,  14.  I  attended  and  read  a  letter  at  the 
Bowery  Church,  where  a  collection  for  the  same  pur- 
pose was  also  made.  At  six  o'clock  I  preached  in  the 
North  River  (Duane  Street)  Church  on  Luke  xi,  13, 
and  so  we  closed  our  labors  in  the  city." 
*  See  p.  149. 


Six  Fruitful  Years.  161 

The  report  at  this  Conference  (1802)  was  726  wliites 
and  211  colored  ;  total  937 — a  gain  of  102.  Thomas 
Moi-rell,  T.  F.  Sargent,  and  J.  Wilson  were  appointed 
to  the  charge,  and  F,  Garrettson  remained  as  presiding 
elder.*  John  Wilson,  the  junior  preacher,  was  born  in 
England  in  1703,  came  to  New  York  in  1793,  and  en- 
tered the  traveling  connection  in  1797.  His  previous 
appointments  had  been  in  Westchester  County  and  on 
Long  Island,  and  after  his  two  years'  service  in  the  pas- 
toral work  in  Xew  York  city  he  was  ajipointed,  in 
1804,  assistant  editor  and  general  book  steward,  with 
E.  Cooper  as  his  chief.  A  severe  attack  of  asthma, 
which  greatly  restricted  his  labors  in  the  pulpit,  was 
probably  one  reason  for  this  appointment;  but  he 
proved  eminently  qualified  for  the  office.  In  1808  the 
General  Conference  placed  him  at  the  head  of  the  Con- 
cern, but  he  died  in  1810.  He  Avas  well  educated,  an 
acceptable  preacher,  and  of  extraordinary  executive 
ability.  Pie  was  also  an  excellent  penman,  and  fre- 
quently acted  as  secretary  of  the  New  York  Confer- 
ence. At  the  session  of  1804,  when  Cyrus  Stebbins 
(who  afterward  withdrew  from  the  Church)  attacked 
the  doctrine  of  sanctification,  John  Wilson  replied  to 
him,  and,  "  as  in  the  case  of  Stephen,  none  could 
'  resist  the  spirit  and  wisdom  with  which  he  spake.' 
He  sat  down  to  wait  a  reph^,  but  'none  opened  his 
month,  or  muttered,  or  peeped.'  The  victory  Avas 
complete,  the  debate  was  closed  ;  all  seemed  love,  and 
the  angel  of  peace  brooded  over  the  consecrated 
assembly."!     He  died  January,  1810,  and  was  buried 

*  J.  "Wilson  lived  in  Bayard  Street,  near  the  Bowery  (Forsyth 
Street)  Church. 

f  Thacher's  manuscript  autobiography,  in  Warrlner's  Old  Scmds 
Street,  p.  185. 


102  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

in  a  vault  in  tlie  ground  behind  the  old  Forsyth  Street 
Church.  * 

On  the  24th  of  July  Bishop  Asbury  came  to  Xew 
York  again,  and  on  Sabbath,  the  25 th,  "  preached  at  the 
old  church  on  Rev.  iii,  17-20,  at  three  o'clock  at  the 
Bowery  (Forsyth  Street)  Church  on  Isa.  Iv,  6,  7,  and  at 
tho  Afri;!an  Church  at  six  o'clock  on  1  Thess.  i,  5.  It 
was  a  day  of  life  to  me." 

Again  we  have  a  Conference  year,  of  the  events  of 
which  no  record  has  come  down  to  us.  But  there  is  a 
"  List  of  the  classes,  leaders'  names,  and  when  and 
where  they  met,  taken  8th  September,  1802,  by  Thomas 
Morrell."  It  will  give  us  a  view  of  the  state  of  the 
Church  at  that  period,  and  will  be  found  in  A])pendix  O. 

On  Thursday,  May  19,  1803,  Bishop  Asbury  reached 
New  Ypi-k  again.  lie  "  signed  a  memorial  for  the  ob- 
taining in  the  court  a  legal  claim  to  £300,  left  by  Miss 
De  Peyster,  for  the  bishops  and  clergy  of  the  Method- 
ist Church,  to  be  appropriated  in  the  best  manner  for 
the  good  of  the  society."  f  On  Sunday,  the  22cl,  he 
"preached  at  the  old  church  from  Jas.  iii,  17." 

The  New  York  Conference  of  1803  met  July  1,  at 
Ashgrove,  in  the  neighborhood  to  which  Embury  and 
his  friends  removed  when  they  left  the  c'ltj-l  Bishop 
Asbury  presided.  The  rej^ort  from  New  York  city 
was  747  whites,  248  colored;  total,  995 — a  gain  of  58. 
Freeborn  Garrettson    Avas    re-appointed    as    presiding 

^Wakcley's  Lost  Chapfer.%  \-).  501;  Warriiier's  Old  Sands  Street, 
p.  1 84  ;  Spracjue's  Annah  of  the  Methodist  Pulpit.  A  record  of  burials 
at  Forsyth  Street  says  he  was  buried  in  the  school-house  vault,  Xo.  1. 

•f-This  was  the  "  De  Peysier  legacy  "  (see  Appendix  E,  p.  442)  the 
income  from  which  the  New  York  Conference  applies  to  its  necessi- 
tous cases. 

J  Thomas  Ashton  wrote  May  27,  ISOl,  inviting  the  Conference 
to  hold  a  session  there.  But  he  did  not  live  to  greet  them,  as  he 
died  eleven  days  after  writiiig. —  The  Mtthodiit,  vol.  vii.  p.  353. 


Six  Fruitful  Years.  163 

elder,  and  the  preachers  were  T.  Morrell,  M.  Coate,  R. 
Williston,  and  J.  Wilson. 

Ralph  AVillis-ton,  the  only  one  whose  name  is  new, 
entered  the  work  in  IV 96,  and  had  labored  in  New  En- 
Ejland  seven  years,  two  of  them  as  presiding  elder  of 
the  Maine  District.  He  afterward  spent  two  years  in 
the  Baltimore  Conference  and  withdrew  in  1806,  and 
entered  the  Episcopal  Church.  Dr.  Thomas  E.  Bond 
says  *  he  was  "  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  talents, 
and  promised  great  usefulness;" ''we  knew  and  loved 
Mr.  Williston,  and  felt  it  a  bereavement  when  he  left." 

On  the  20th  of  July,  1803,  "the  Church  debt  re- 
ported to  the  society"  was  £2,380  8s.  ^cl — a  decrease  of 
more  than  £100  since  the  last  report,  about  sixteen 
months  before. f 

Asbury  reached  New  York  on  Friday,  June  8,  1804, 
and  on  Sunday,  the  10th,  preached  in  John  Street,  on 
Heb.  X,  23-25.  The  Conference,  which  met  on  the 
12th,  was,  he  says,  "a  happy  one  and  of  great  business. 
AVe  had  sermons  every  day  at  noon.  Fourteen  deacons 
and  eight  elders  Avere  oi-dained,  these  last  at  the  Bow- 
ery (Forsyth  Street)  Church,  where  I  preached  upon 
2  Tim.  iv,  1-4.  By  hard  labor  I  read  olf  the  stations 
on  Saturday  night,  and  our  Conference  sat  on  Monday. 
We  proclaimed  a  fast,  with  prayer,  for  the  Methodists, 
the  health  of  the  city,  the  general  Church,  and  the  con- 
tinent. N.  Snethen  gave  us  a  melting,  nervous  dis- 
course on  the  occasion." 

AYhites,  750,  colored,  268,  is  the  report   for  this  Con- 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xvii,  p.  44. 

f  Book  ii,  p.  120.  The  General  Conference  met  in  1804  at  Balti- 
more, and  among  other  things  defined  more  accurately  the  limits  of 
the  several  Annual  Conferences.  It  will  be  sufficient  to  our  purpose 
to  say  that  the  New  York  Conference  included  the  territory  now  in 
the  care  of  tlie  New  York,  New  York  East,  and  Troy  Conferences, 
and  the  whole  of  the  field  in  Canada. 


164  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  Yokk  City. 

ference,  a  total  of  1,018 — an  increase  of  23.  For  the 
first  time  the  membership  had  reached  1,000.  It  fell  off 
next  year,  but  recovered  the  year  after,  and  never  again 
needed  less  than  four  figures. 

The  New  York  District  had  William  Thacher  for 
presiding  elder,  and  the  city  Nicholas  Snethen,  M. 
Coate,*  and  S.  Merwin  as  preachers.  Ezekiel  Cooper 
was  editor  and  general  book  steward,  and  John  Wil- 
son assistant.  The  name  of  Mr.  Thacher  bas  been 
met  with  before,  but  now  for  the  first  time  he  becomes 
associated  with  Methodism  in  New  York  city.  lie  was 
born  in  1769,  in  the  town  of  Norwalk,  Conn.,  and  con- 
verted in  1790,  in  Baltimore.  He  began  to  preach  in 
the  city  of  New  Haven  in  1795,  where  liis  family 
formed  the  nucleus  of  the  3Ietiiodist  Ciiurch  in  that 
city.  In  1797  he  was  admitted  on  trial  into  the  New 
York  Conference,  and  labored  in  the  States  of  Connect- 
icut and  New  York,  until  he  was  placed  over  the  New 
York  District.  He  afterward  filled  important  appoint- 
ments in  the  New  York  and  Philadelphia  Conferences, 
and,  becoming  superannuated  in  1S46,  made  his  residence 
in  Poughkeepsie,  where  he  died  August  2,  1856.  His 
pulpit  exercises  were  brief,  pointed,  and  practical. f 

But  Thacher  had  on  his  district  men  Avhose  names 
were  destined  to  be  more  widely  known  than  his  own, 
and  two  of  these  were  in  New  York  city.  Nicholas 
Snethen  was  born  at  Moscheto  (now  Glen)  Cove,  L.  I. 
In  1791,  or  shortly  after,  he  was  converted,  and  in  1793 
was  a  class-leader  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.J  He  entered  the 
itinerancy  in  1794,  filled  various  prominent  appoint- 
ments, was  for  a  time  traveling  companion  of  Bishop 

*  Coate  resided  iu  Baj^ard  Street. 

f  Stevens's  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcoixd  Church,  vol.  iii,  p.  440; 
"Warriner's  Old  Sands  Street,  p.  156. 
I  Warriner's  Old  Sands  Street,  p.  493. 


Six  Fruitful  Years.  105 

AsLuiy,  and  in  ]814  located.  He  wrote  ably  and 
warmly  in  defense  of  Asbury  and  the  Church  against 
O'Kelly.  "  He  was  no  ordinary  man ;  his  literary  ac- 
quirements were  highly  respectable;  in  the  pulpit  he 
was  eloquent,  and  at  times  overpowering;  in  private 
life  he  was  cheerful,  sociable,  and  sympathetic,  an  un- 
wavering friend,  and  a  complete  Christian  gentleman. 
There  was  a  peculiarity  in  his  mental  constitution  to 
Avhich  must  be  referred  his  unfortunate  course  in  the 
Church.  '  His  philosophic  mind,'  saj's  one  who  knew 
him  well,  '  delighted  in  theory.  He  theorized  on  every 
subject  that  came  under  his  investigation;  and  most 
of  his  theories  were  ingenious,  plausible,  and  captivat- 
ing, and  bespoke  a  mind  of  vast  compass,  great  origi- 
nality, and  intense  application.'  "  *  Something  also  of 
a  spirit  of  ambition  must  have  shown  itself,  for  Asbury, 
who  knew  him  well,  and  seems  to  have  had  much  re- 
gard for  him,  says  (November  17,  1811),  "And  O,  great 
Snethen  is  chaplain  to  Congress!  "  It  is  no  wonder, 
then,  that  he  afterward  became  a  leader  in  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church.  He  died 
in  Indiana,  May  30,  1845,  "praising  the  Lord  to  the 
last  moment  of  his  life."  f 

Samuel  Merwin,  his  junior  colleague,  ran  no  such 
eri'atic  course.  He  was  a  native  of  Durham,  Conn., 
whence  his  father  removed  when  Samuel  was  seven  years 
of  age  to  the  State  of  New  York,  with  five  other  fami- 
lies, who  formed  a  settlement  which  they  called  New  Dur- 
ham.    Converted  when   about  eighteen    years   old,  he 

*  Rev.  J.  B.  "Williams,  in  Stevens's  Ilisfoi-y  of  the  Met! lodist  Episcopal 
Church,  vol.  iii,  p.  2G2. 

f  Stevens's  Hislory  of  the  Metlmdist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  iii,  p. 
259;  "Warriner's  OW  Sands  Street,  ^p.  492.  In  the  book  lately  re- 
ferred to  (Book  ii,  p.  117)  will  be  found  an  account  ofliis  housekeep- 
ing expenses  for  July  and  a  part  of  August,  1804. 


166  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City, 

was  sent  by  the  j^residing  elder  into  the  work  Avhen  he 
was  twenty-two,  and  at  the  next  Conference,  in  the 
year  1800,  he  was  admitted  on  trial  His  labors  were 
mostly  in  the  Xew  York  Conference,  though  he  spent 
four  years  in  New  England  and  two  years  each  in  the 
cities  of  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia.  As  presiding 
elder  and  stationed  preacher  he  was  connected  with 
New  York  city  thirteen  years.  He  died  at  Rhinebeck, 
January  13,  1839.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  appearance, 
graceful  manners,  and  charming  delivery.  "  His  pul- 
pit appeals  were  accompanied  by  a  flowing  and  sweep- 
ing eloquence,  sometimes  rising  to  wonderful  power 
and  majesty."  *  From  the  time  that  he  was  admitted 
on  trial  "  t'.U  his  death  he  never  halted  or  turned  aside 
from  his  vocation  as  a  traveling  preacher  in  the  ]\[eth- 
odist  Connection"'! — a  fact  which  places  him  in 
marked  contrast  with  his  senior  colleague. 

Ezekiel  Cooper  and  John  Wilson,  the  editors  and 
book  stewards,  have  been  sketched  alread}',  but  the 
fact  that  now  for  the  first  time  these  officers  are  named 
in  connection  Avith  New  York  appointments  calls  for  an 
explanation.  The  business  had  been  can-ied  on  in  Phila- 
delphia, but  some  difficulties  had  arisen  there  which 
made  its  removal  advisable,  and  it  was  finally  transferred 
to  New  York,  where  it  has  continued  ever  since  and 
grown  to  be  the  most  extensive  denominational  publish- 
ing interest  in  the  country.  Its  officers  have  done  ef- 
fective service  also  in  the  pulpits  of  the  churches  in  the 
city  and  its  vicinity.J 

But,  even  with  two  editors  in  the  city,  very  little  his- 
tory has  come  down  to  us.  Asbury  says,  "  On  Satu;-- 
day  (August  4)  I  came  alone  to  New  York.     Sabl)ath, 

^Stevens^s  Mstonj  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  iii,  p.  455. 

f  Sprafjue's  Annals  of  the  Methodist  Pulpit,  p.  334. 

JSee  Light  on  Early  Methodism,  p.  256,  and  Appendix  X. 


Six  Fruitful  Years.  167 

5,  I  preached  at  the  North  (Duane  Street)  Cliurch  upon 
Matt,  xvi,  24,  to  the  end  of  the  chapter.  I  felt  some 
opening.  At  the  old  house  in  John  Street  my  subject 
was  1  Tim.  vi,  6,  7,  8.  York,  in  all  the  congregations, 
is  the  valley  of  dry  bonesy  These  words  prepare  us  for 
some  decrease  in  the  report  to  the  next  Conference. 
Two  names,  however,  among  those  received  on  trial 
daring  this  Conference  year  attract  our  attention.  They 
are,  August  7,  Henry  "Worvall,  and  November  15,  Thomas 
Treslow  (Truslow).*  New  York  Metliodists  know  who 
are  represented  by  these  names. 

The  Conference  for  1805  met  at  Ashgrove  on  June  12. 
Asbury  passed  through  the  city  in  May,  and  "gave  them 
a  sermon  in  Jolm  Street  Church  on  Tuesday  morning  " 
(May  21).  The  statistics  from  what  he  had  called  the 
valley  of  dry  hones  the  preceding  summer  could  not 
have  surprised  him.  The  report  was,  700  Avhites,  240 
colored;  total  940 — a  loss  of  78.  W.  Thacher  is  con- 
tinued as  presiding  elder,  and  the  preachers  are,  F.  Gar- 
rettson,  N.  Snethen,  A.  Hunt,  and  J.  Wilson.  Here  is 
but  one  new  name,  not  as  widely  known  as  some  others, 
but  held  in  great  estimation  among  old  Methodists  of 
the  metropolis. 

Aaron  Hunt  was  born  in  Eastchester,  Westchester 
County,  NcAv  York,  March  28,  1768.  While  a  clerk  in 
the  city  he  heard  a  Methodist  preacher  for  the  first  time 
in  the  old  John  Street  Church.  He  was  about  twenty- 
one  when  converted.  Admitted  on  trial  in  1791,  he 
located  on  account  of  ill  health  in  1794,  but  re-entered 
the  work  in  1800  and  continued  until  1823,  when  he  be- 
cam(!  supcrnumeraiy.  He  died  April  25,  1858,  at 
Sharon,  Conn.,  at  the  age  of  ninety.  He  had  a  clear, 
strong  intellect,  was  an  earnest  Christian,  and  an  able 
and  highly  successful  minister.     His  name  is  associated 

*  Book  ii,  p.  17. 
12 


168  A  HiSTOKY  OF  Methodism  ix  New  Youk  City. 

with  interesting  events  in  Methodist  history  in  Xew 
York  city,  as  we  shall  see  in  due  course.  His  grandson, 
Rev.  A.  S.  Hunt,  D.D.,  is  one  of  the  financial  secretaries 
of  the  American  Bible  Society. 

Mr.  Hunt  tells  us  he  had  "  a  good  home  in  the  par- 
sonage of  Forsyth  Street  Church,"  and  that  he  and  his 
colleagues  labored  "in  perfect  hamiony  to  build  the 
walls  of  Zion."  During  the  latter  part  of  September, 
1805,  the  yellow  fever  prevailed  again,  but  instead  of 
awakening  it  seemed  only  to  harden.*  That  some  in- 
terest existed,  however,  is  evident,  not  only  from  the  re- 
port at  the  next  Conference,  but  from  the  testimony  of 
Garrettson,  who  says,  "  Last  evening  I  attended  a  prayer- 
meeting  in  the  Bowery  (Forsyth  Street)  Church.  Not 
less  than  a  thousand  people"  were  present,  "and  wc 
had  a  most  extraordinary  time.  Loud  praises  rang 
through  the  whole  church  and  continued  till  midnight." 

A  remarkable  revival,  indeed,  such  as  was  never 
before  known  in  the  city,  prevailed  under  ]Mr.  Hunt's 
ministry.  It  is  difficult  to  decide  to  which  of  the  two 
years  of  his  service  the  following  narrative  relates. 
"  God,  who  works  in  mysterious  ways,  aided  them  by  a 
small  incident.  As  a  few  parents  in  the  eastern  out- 
skirts of  the  city  were  attending  church  one  Sabbath, 
their  children,  meeting  together  at  home,  commenced 
conversing  upon  religion,  and,  as  they  felt  the  need  of 
salvation,  they  prayed  to  Jesus  Christ  to  forgive  their 
sins.  One  little  girl  was  soundly  converted,  and  when 
the  parents  returned  from  church  tlun^  found  the  com- 
pany of  children  so  earnest  as  not  to  be  diverted  from 
the  all-engrossing  subject  of  personal  salvation.  This 
led  some  persons  to  reflection  on  the  same  subject."  The 
fall  camp-meeting  at  Cow  Harbor  (now  Manhasset  Bay) 
was  largely  attended  and  many  were  converted.  Some 
*  Papers  of  Rev.  A.  Hunt  in  hands  of  Rev  A.  S.  limit.  D.D. 


Six  Fruitful  Years.  169 

wild  fire  seems  to  have  been  mingled  with  the  true,  how- 
ever, for  on  the  way  home  some  enthusiasts  claimed  to 
be  able  to  walk  on  the  water.  Mr.  Hunt  prudently  re- 
plied, "  I  fear  your  faith  will  fail,  like  Peter's."  * 

On  Friday,  May  16,  1806,  the  New  York  Conference 
commenced  its  sitting  in  this  city  and  rose  on  Thurs- 
day. The  Bishop  says  :  "  We  sat  seven  hours  each  day 
in  great  love,  order,  and  peace.  I  preached  three 
times,  and  ordained  three  African  deacons.  We 
had  preaching  in  the  Park  as  well  as  regularly  in 
tlie  meeting-houses,  and  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer 
for  the  health  of  the  city,  the  success  of  our  Confer- 
ence labors,  and  the  prosperity  of  Zion.  I  was  greatly 
supported  and  blest.  The  preachers  were,  perhaps, 
never  better  satisfied  with  their  stations."  This  last 
sentence  is  worthy  of  notice. 

The  loss  reported  at  the  last  Conference  was  more 
than  repaired  at  this.  The  Minutes  give  691  whites  and 
365  colored;  a  total  of  1,056 — a  gain  of  116.  A.  Hunt, 
T.  Bishop,  and  S.  Crowell  were  the  preachers.  The 
names  of  F.  Garrettson  and  J.  Wilson  are  also  given, 
but  the  first  was  probably  but  a  nominal  appointment,! 
and  the  last  was  book  steward.  W.  Thacher  remained 
as  presiding  elder. 

Truman  Bishop's  name  is  first  found  in  the  Conference 
Minutes  of  1798,  when  he  was  stationed  in  Litchfield, 
Conn.  He  labored  in  New  England  until  his  appoint- 
ment in  New  York,  and  afterward  in  different  charges 
in  the  New  York  and  Philadeli)hia  Conferences  until 
1818,  when  he  became  connected  with  the  Ohio  Confer- 
ence, in  which  he  continued  until  his  location  in  1828. 
Mr.  Hunt  says  he  was  "  deep,  humble,  and  pious." 

*  Papers  of  Rev.  A.  Hunt,  etc. 

f  A  uole  in  the  Minutes  says:  "  Freeborn  Garrettson  requested  not 
to  have  the  charge  of  the  society  this  year." 


ITO  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Seth  Crowell  was  born  in  Tolland,  Conn.,  converted 
when  about  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  received  on 
trial  in  the  New  York  Conference  in  1801.  Canada, 
Vermont,  and  Albany  Circuit,  N.  Y.,  were  his  fields 
of  labor  until  his  appointment  to  the  city.  He  after- 
ward traveled  in  New  York  State  and  New  England,- 
was  superannuated  for  a  few  years,  and  was  again  ap- 
pointed to  the  city  in  1817  and  1818,  but  located  in 
1819.  Five  years  after,  in  consideration  of  his  eminent 
services,  though  he  was  incapable  of  the  labor  of  a 
chai'ge,  he  was  re-admitted  ami  placed  on  the  superan- 
nuated list.  lie  lingered  about  two  years  longer,  a 
great  sufferer  from  nervous  disease,  and  died  July  6, 
1826,  at  the  hous."  of  his  friend,  Alex.  Banks,  in  the 
city.  Mr.  Crowell  was  a  remarkable  man.  His  ])reach- 
ing  was  peculiarly  solemn,  and  his  whole  manner  gave 
evidence  that  he  was  constantly  inspired  with  a  sense 
of  eternal  realities.  In  the  pulpit  he  was  simple  and 
natural,  and  not  at  all  boisterous.  The  writer  has  heard 
some  of  his  sermons  described  as  producing  very  power- 
ful effects.* 

During  this  year  Mr.  Hunt  introduced  a  practice 
which  soon  became  general  in  the  Church.  He  says, 
"In  September,  1806,  I  appointed  a  prayer-meeting 
particularly  for  those  who  had  been  at  the  camp-meet- 
ing. Many  attended  at  the  church  in  Second  (Forsyth) 
Street.  It  was  a  time  of  great  power.  Many  wept  iind 
cried  aloud  for  mercy."  Several  little  prayer-meetings 
were  held  at  the  same  time  in  different  parts  of  the 
house,  causing,  of  course,  great  confusion.  Mr.  Hunt 
had  recently  received  a  letter  from  his  former  colleague, 
Rev.  N.  Snethen,  "  describing  the  custom  which  had  just 
been   adopted  at  the  camp-meetings  in  the    South,  of 

*  Stevens's  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  CJiwrch,  vol.  iii,  p.  478; 
Sprague's  Annals  of  the  Methodist  Pulpit. 


Six  Fruitful  Ykars.  171 

inclosing  a  space  in  front  of  the  stand,  called  an  altar, 
where  mourners  and  those  who  were  considered  cnpable 
of  instructing  and  praying  with  them  were  invited  to 
meet,  apart  from  the  great  congregation."  He  deter- 
mined to  adopt  "  a  similar  course  in  the  church,  and  at 
the  second  camp-meeting  prayer-meeting  he  invited  all 
who  were  seeking  the  Saviour  to  come  forward  and 
kneel  at  the  altar,  but  not  one  person  complied  with 
the  request.  The  three  preachers  met  the  next  day  in 
consultation.  Mr.  Hunt  assigned  as  his  reason  for  pro- 
posing to  introduce  the  altar  service  that  the  confusion 
of  previous  meetings  would  thereby  be  avoided,  and 
the  name,  residence,  and  spiritual  condition  of  each 
convert  and  seeker  could  be  ascertained,  making  it  pos- 
sible to  watch  over  them  more  successfully.  Truman 
Bishop  concurred,  but  Seth  Crowell,  the  other  preacher, 
put  in  a  stern  remonstrance,  and  in  the  evening  took  a 
back  seat  to  watch  the  result  of  what  he  considered  an 
interference  with  God's  order  and  a  steadying  of  the 
ark.  But  the  penitents,  having  reflected  on  the  pro- 
l)riety  of  gathering  about  the  altar,  pressed  forward 
as  soon  as  the  invitation  was  given,  filling  the  entire 
kneeling-place  about  the  altar-rail  and  several  of  the 
front  seats."  Mr.  Crowell  "  discontinued  his  opposition 
and  joined  zealously  in  the  work."  "  The  custom  soon 
became  general."  "  In  later  years  Mr.  Hunt  expressed 
concern  lest  the  usage  might  degenerate  into  a  form  in 
which  some  might  trust  rather  than  in  the  Saviour,  and 
of  which  others  might  take  advantage  in  hypocrisy  to 
impose  upon  the  Church."  * 

Among  those  who  were  received  into  the  Church  dur- 
ing this   great  revival  were   Dorothea   Worrall,   John 

*  Papers  of  Rev.  A.  Hunt;  Warriner's  Old  Sands  Street,  p.  104; 
Christian  Advocate,  vol.  vii,  p.  148;  and  Atkinson's  Centennial  History 
qf  American  Methodism,  pp.  468  and  481. 


1'72  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  Youk  City. 

Buckmaster,  Nicholas  Schuveman,  Andrew  Halstead, 
Ezekiel  Halstead,  Nathaniel  C.  Hart,  William  Raisbeck, 
Peter  McNarnara,  Thomas  J.  Stagg,  Alexander  Banks, 
Benjamin  Dishrow,  James  Oakley,  Haziel  Smith  (dumb), 
John  R.  ^lidwinter,  Simeon  Bi'own,  John  Devon,  Ben- 
jamin Griffin,  Nathaniel  Jarvis,  Abijah  Abbot,  Gideon 
Carstang.* 

*Book  ii,  pp.  19-34. 


Five  Fruitful  Yeaes.  173 


CHAPTER  XVL 

FIVE  FRUITFUL  YEARS— COXFEREXCES  OF    1807  TO  1812. 

The  New  York  Conference  for  1 807  met  at  Coeyman's 
Patent,  near  Albany,  May  2,  Asbury  speaks  of  tlie 
fact  that  two  thousand  and  one  bad  been  added  in  the 
bounds  of  this  Conference.*  New  York  city  contrib- 
uted its  full  proportion  to  this  gain.  It  reported  1,071 
whites  and  392  colored;  in  all  1,463 — an  increase  of  407. 
Naturally,  therefore,  there  was  an  increase  in  the  work- 
ing force  of  tlie  city.  T.  Bishop,  E.  Cooper,  F.  Ward, 
P.  Peck,  and  S.  Thomas  were  the  preachers,  with  J. 
Crawford  as  presiding  elder. 

Joseph  Crawford  was  a  native  of  White  Plains,  N,  Y., 
was  received  into  the  traveling  connection  in  1797,  and 
until  1820  occupied  some  of  the  most  important  posi- 
tions in  the  New  York  and  New  England  Conferences. 
He  was  a  man  of  remarkable  ability,  and  very  successful.f 

Francis  Ward  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  where  he  was 
converted  and  licensed  to  preach.  He  came  to  this 
country  in  1801,  and  was  received  into  the  Conference 
in  1802.  He  labored  within  the  bounds  of  the  New 
York  Conference  until  1812,  when  he  was  appointed  to 
Charleston,  S.  C,  where  he  was  taken  ill.  Returning 
North,  he  went  to  Suffolk  Circuit,  on  Long  Island,  where 
he  died  in  1813.  He  "  was  a  studious  man,  a  good  En- 
glish scholar,"  of  extensive  reading,  sound  in  doctrine, 
"  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord." 

*Bnt  the  figures  of  the  printed  Minutes  make  the  increase  3,171. 
f  Warriuer's  Old  Sands  Street,  p.  175,  etc. 


174  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Pliineas  Peck  was  liorn  in  Stratford,  Conn.,  in  1780, 
entered  the  Conference  in  1801,  and  spent  about  twenty 
years  in  effective  service  in  the  New  York  and  New  En- 
gland Conferences.  He  died  at  Watertown,  N.  Y.,  April 
19,  1836.     He  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  ability.* 

Samuel  Thomas  was  converted  in  e;irly  life  in  New 
Jersey,  and  was  for  many  years  an  acceptable  local 
preacher.  He  entered  the  traveling  connection  in  1796, 
and  after  laboring  in  New  York  and  New  Jersey  was 
superannuated  in  1808,  and  died  early  in  1812,  at  Cin- 
cinnati, O.  He  was  a  man  "frequently  tempted  and 
buffeted  by  the  devil,"  but  his  end  was  peace.  Many 
were  converted  under  his  ministry,  among  whom,  we 
are  told,  were  Marvin  Richardson,  Josiah  Bowen,  and 
Charles  W.  Carpenter,  f 

Of  the  events  of  this  Conference  year  not  a  solitary 
record  is  to  be  found  except  that  of  the  admission  of 
probationers.  Among  these  are  the  names  of  Chancey 
Carter,  Mary  Carter,  John  C.  Totten,  Mary  Morgan, 
Benjamin  Burdett,  Nicholas  Coenhoven,  Lancaster  S. 
Burling,  John  Carr.  J 

At  the  Conference  of  1808,  which  met  at  Amenia 
April  6,  Bishop  Asbur}^  presiding,  the  increase,  though 
not  equal  to  that  of  the  preceding  year,  was  yet  very 
encouraging.  The  report  was,  whites  1,330,  colored 
424;  total  1,754 — a  gain  of  291.  J.  Crawford  was  con- 
tinued as  presiding  elder,  and  the  preachers  were  W. 
Thacher,  E.  Cooper,  J.  Wilson,  F.  Ward,  L.  Andrus, 
and  P.  Peck.  § 

Luman  Andrus,  whose  name  is  the  only  new  one  in 
this  list,  was  born  in   Litchtield,  Conn.,  July  4,   1778, 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  x,  pp.  176  and  200. 
f  Warriner's  Old  Sands  Street,  p.  169.  |  Book  ii,  pp.  34-46. 

§  Thacher's  residence  was  at  400  Pearl  Street,  and  Peck's  at  7  Sec- 
ond (Forsylli)  ?troet. 


Five  Fuuitful  Years.  175 

converted  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  and  received  on  trial 
in  1801.  He  was  in  New  York  again  in  1816.  He  su- 
perannuated in  1834,  and  died  July  12,  1851.  He  was 
devoted  and  useful,  and,  though  not  very  systematic  as 
a  preacher,  was  uncommonly  imju'essive  as  an  exhorter. 
For  the  histoiy  of  this  year  our  material  is  almost 
as  scanty  as  tliat  of  the  year  before.  Bishop  Asbury 
spent  but  a  day  or  two  in  the  city,  and  preached  Wednes- 
day, April  27,  at  the  African  Church,  and  ordained 
D.  Coker  and  W.  Miller.  Jesse  Lee  arrived  June  19, 
and  remained  until  the  27th,  preaching  nine  sermons, 
after  which  he  attended  the  camp-meeting  at  Cow  Harbor 
(now  Manhasset  Bay).  He  returned  October  7,  and  re- 
mained until  the  11th,  preaching  to  crowded  congrega- 
tions. He  found  the  work  prospering.  He  Fa3'S,  "  I  be- 
lieve I  never  knew  so  gieat  a  revival  of  religion  in  the 
city  of  New  York  before.  The  work  had  been  great  for 
several  months,  and  many  had  been  converted  and  joined 
our  society,  and  the  prospect  was  still  pleasing."  * 

*  Lee's  Memoirs,  pp.  313,  323.  That  this  work  was  something 
more  than  a  more  excitement  is  evident  from  the  fact  tliat  at  tliis  lime 
steps  were  taken  lor  supplying  both  the  temporal  and  spiritual  wants 
of  the  poor..  At  a  meeting  held  on  November  12,  1808,  at  a  school- 
room on  the  corner  of  Anthony  (now  Worth)  and  Hudson  Streets,  an 
"Assistance  Society  "  was  organized.  The  original  members  were: 
Francis  Ward,  James  J.  Margarum,  Abm.  Russel,  Joseph  Riley, 
Rod'k  McLeod,  John  Shaw,  George  Innes,  S.  B.  Eonsall,  Natiian 
Whitehead,  James  Davis,  Samuel  Elsworlh,  Samuel  Sears,  John  An- 
dariese,  Christian  Bourdeite,  Cornelius  Polhamus,  Jacob  Bolmoro, 
Joseph  Wiley,  John  Westfield,  Benjamin  G.  Barker,  M.  H.  Smith, 
George  Suckley,  Jolm  Vanderpool,  John  C.  Totten,  L.  S.  Burling, 
John  Russel,  William  H.  Baldwin,  Elnathan  Raymond,  A.  J.  W. 
Butler,  George  L.  Birch,  Peter  Poillon,  Isaac  Saunders,  John  Cox, 
Robert  Mathison,  Thomas  Hope.  Others,  equally  worthy  of  remem- 
brance, soon  joined  the  society.  For  many  years  it  did  a  very  good 
work,  but  after  the  city  became  divided  into  stations  the  benevolent 
societies  of  the  different  churclies  supplied  its  place. 


17G  A  HisTOKY  OF  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

Among. those  received  on  trial  this  year  were  Francis 
Hall  and  Samuel  Williams.* 

On  the  10th  of  Maj^  1809,  the  New  York  Confer- 
ence, after  two  years'  absence,  again  lield  its  session  in 
the  city.  Bishop  Ashury  says,  it  "  continued  until  the 
loth;  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  preachers  present; 
we  had  great  peace  and  good  order."  f  The  elders  weie 
ordained  at  the  John  Street  Church  on  the  Sabbath 
day.  I 

A  good  increase  was  reported,  as  Avas  to  be  expected 
f roni  wliat  we  have  already  read.  Whites,  1,531;  col- 
ored, 469;  total,  2,000— gain,  246.  The  appointments 
were  W.  Thacher,  E.  Smith,  W.  Keith.  J.  Crawford 
was  still  presiding  elder.  J.  Wilson  and  D.  Hitt  were 
the  book  agents. 

Eben  Smith  was  born  in  the  toAvn  of  Lenox,  Mass., 
July  18,  1774,  and  admitted  to  Conference  in  1804. 
He  did  effective  work  for  about  thirty  years,  seven  of 
them  as  presiding  elder,  and   was  a  member  of  four 

*  Book  ii,  pp.  59,  60. 

f  According  to  the  Minutes  of  tlie  New  York  Conference  this  was 
tlie  last  of  ils  sessions  ut  wliich  Asbury  presided. 

\  Bishop  Ashury  to  Ptter  Alexander  Allaire,  Dr. 

1809,  20th  May.     To  keeping-  3  liorses  from  8th  of  May  on  £  s.  d. 

hay,  at  4s '<  4  0 

To  9  quarts  oats  per  horse  per  day  for  eacli  horse,  say 

27  quarts  per  day,  324  quarts,  at  4d 5  8  0 

To  keeping  one  horse  frona  Stli  of  May  on  hay,  at  4s. . .  2  8  0 

To  78  quarts  of  oats,  at  4r? 1  6  0 

To  bleeding  bishop's  horse,  physick,  fetching,  etc 0  10  0 

£17     2     0 

$42  75 
Received  payment  from  Mr.  Abraham  Ru'^sel. 

Peter  Alex.  Allaire. 
—  Reminiscences  of  Henry  Boehm,  p.  238. 


Five  Fruitful  Years.  17? 

successive  General  Conferences,  from  1812  to  1824.  He 
died  May  18,  1844,  at  Milton,  Ulster  County,  N.  Y., 
in  great  peace.  He  "  was  a  man  of  mucii  zeal,  dili- 
gence, and  usefulness,"  "  a  great  lover  of  Methodism, 
ardent  in  his  friendship,  and  cautious  in  speaking  of  the 
character  of  absent  persons."  He  endured  much  labor 
and  privation. 

Tlie  life  of  William  Keith  was  short  but  useful. 
Born  in  Easton,  Mass.,  September  15,  1776,  he  was  con- 
verted in  1794,  and  commenced  preacliing  in  1798. 
Stationed  on  the  Albany  Circuit,  he  traveled  three 
hundred  miles  in  four  weeks,  sometimes  on  foot,  through 
storms  and  snow,  and  preached  forty-three  times.  We 
cannot  wond-er,  then,  that  before  the  year  closed  he 
was  so  enfeebled  that  he  had  to  retire.  His  withdrawal 
from  active  labor  proved  unfavorable  to  his  spiritual 
condition,  and  some  of  the  preachers,  observing  it,  re- 
proved him  so  sharply  that  he  became  discouraged  and, 
in  1801,  withdrew  from  the  Church.  Proposals  to  re- 
sume his  ministry  in  some  other  communion  were  made 
to  him,  but  he  could  not  be  persuaded  to  do  so.  At 
length  he  resolved  to  return  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  he  says:  "As  soon  as  I  consented  to  bear 
the  cross  and  join  the  Methodists  again  I  felt  a  return 
of  the  favor  of  God  and  could  truly  say,  '  My  Jesus  is 
mine  and  I  am  his.' "  Two  years  were  spent  in  the  lo- 
cal ministry,  then  three  years  in  the  traveling  work, 
before  he  received  his  appointment  to  New  York,  which 
was  to  be  his  last.  Consumption  had  fastened  on  him; 
at  the  Conference  of  1810  he  became  superannuated, 
and  died  September  7  of  the  same  year.  Dr.  Bangs, 
who  came  to  the  city  just  in  time  to  form  acquaintance 
with  him  a  few  months  before  his  death,  says:  "Once 
only  I  heard  him  preach,  but  the  effort,  though  made  in 
nnich  bodily  weakness,  was  one  of  great  power,  and 


178  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

left  an  impression  upon  my  mind  which  is  still  fresh 
after  nearly  half  a  century."  He  adds  :  "  The  effects 
of  his  preaching  were  sometimes  truly  astonishing;  his 
audiences  were  completely  bowed  under  the  power  of 
th'j  truth  which  he  proclaimed."  * 

Among  those  received  on  probation  during  this  eccle- 
siastical year  were  Peter  Badeau,  William  B.  Skid- 
more,  Wah-ab  Seaman,  James  Raisbeck,  Nicholas  Ro- 
main.f 

At  the  New  York  Conference  for  1810,  which  was 
held  at  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  Bishop  McKendree  presided. 
Bishop  Asbury  passed  through  the  city  in  the  early  part 
of  Ma}^  and  says  :  "  Great  times  here;  two  new  houses 
within  the  year.  I  preached  at  old  John  Street.  This 
is  the  thirty-ninth  year  I  have  officiated  within  the 
walls;  this  house  must  come  doAvn  and  something 
larger  and  better  occupy  its  place."  The  two  new 
houses  referred  to  were  the  Greenwich  Village,  now 
Bedford  Street,  and  the  Allen  Street  churches. 

The  first  of  these  had  originated  a  few  years  before. 
At  that  time  the  territory  north  of  Canal  Street  and 
west  of  Broadway  contained  only  a  few  scattered  dwell- 
ings. Prominent  among  these  was  the  Richmond  Hill 
house,  which  stood  near  the  present  corner  of  Charlton 
and  Varick  Streets;  a  very  fine  country  mansion,  cele- 
brated as  having  been  tlie  head-quarters  of  GeneralWash- 
ington  and  subsequently,  for  several  years,  the  residence 
of  Aaron  Burr.  From  the  porch  of  St.  John's  Church 
(built  in  1807),  in  Yarick  Street,  below  Canal  Street,  the 
view  to  this  building  was  unobstructed.  A  little  above  it 
lay  Greenwich  Village,  between  the  North  River  on  the 
west,  Greenwich  Lane  (now  Greenwich  Avenue)  on  the 
east.  Bank  Street  on  the  north,  and  a  brook  (called  Amity 
Water  or  Minetta  Brook),  which  flowed  where  is  now 
*  Spragiie"s  Annalaof  the  Methodist  Pulpit.      f  Book  ii,  pp.  60-67. 


Five  Fruitful  Years.  179 

Carmine  Street,  on  the  south.  The  only  place  of  worship 
within  its  limits  was  a  Reformed  Dutch  church,  which 
afterward  was  replaced  by  a  building  at  the  corner  of 
what  are  now  Bieecker  and  West  Tenth  Streets,  now 
occupied  by  a  Methodist  congregation  of  colored  people. 
Meetings  of  Methodists  were  first  held  in  this  region  in 
the  house  of  Samuel  Walgrove,  on  the  north  side  of 
Morton  (then  Arden)  Street,  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  Avest  of  Bieecker  Street.  In  a  year  they 
needed  more  room,  and  Mr.  Walgrove  opened  the  first 
floor  of  his  carpenter-shop,  about  twenty  feet  square. 
This  building  stood  many  years  after  the  first  church 
in  Bedford  Street  was  built.  Early  every  Saturday 
afternoon  Mr.  Walgrove  ceased  work,  swept  the  shop, 
removed  the  sur))lus  lumber  to  the  yard,  and  arranged 
seats  of  rough  planks.  The  preaching  was  by  the  sta- 
tioned or  local  preachers;  of  these  last  Jesse  Oakley 
seems  to  have  occupied  the  pulpit  most  frequently. 
The  first  class  was  formed  by  either  F.  Ward  or  W. 
Thacher;  a  Brother  Elsworth,  who,  it  is  supposed,  came 
from  Duane  Street,  was  the  leader.  We  have  the 
names  of  Samuel  Walgrove  and  wife,  George  Suckley 
and  his  wife.  Sister  Schultz,  and  Wm.  C  Tillou  as  mem- 
bers. After  a  time  James  Demarest  was  appointed  its 
leadei',  and  Elsworth  was  transferred  to  a  new  class 
meeting  in  what  was  then  called  the  Lower  Village,  in  a 
j^rivate  house  in  Hetty  (now  Cliarlton)  Street,  near 
Hudson.* 

*  William  McLean,  for  man}'  years  an  active  official  member  of 
Bedford  Street,  saj's  liis  wife's  mother  Mrs.  Jonnna  De  Groot,  wife  of 
Cornelius  De  Groot,  living  in  Brandon  (now  Spring)  Street,  near 
Greenwich,  in  "hat  was  then  called  the  Lower  Village,  opened  her 
house  for  preaching,  and  obtained  permission  of  her  husband,  then 
unconverted,  to  fit  up  a  large  room  foi-  wor^ship  on  condition  that  she 
should  be  answerable  for  the  expense.  This  was  in  1804,  and  for 
three  years  she  sustained  it  mostly  wiih  the  avails  of  her  own  labor. 


180  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

At  length  five  lots  were  bought  on  the  corner  of  Bed- 
ford nnd  Morton  Streets  for  |1,250,*  and  in  1810  the 
church  was  built.  It  fronted  on  Bedford  Street,  was 
sixty  by  thirty  feet,  and  covered  with  shingles,  which 
were  painted  a  cream  color.  It  had  two  doors,  two 
aisles,  and  galleries  on  each  side  and  the  front.  The 
pulpit  was  a  high  box.  Garrettson  once  split  the  book- 
board  with  a  blow  of  his  hand.  There  was  a  window 
on  each  side  of  the  pulpit.  The  seats  were  high  and 
straight-backed.  The  galleries  were  unfurnished  until 
the  old  John  Street  Church  was  taken  down,  when  some 
of  its  seats  were  used  for  these  galleries.  There  were 
no  class-rooms.  A  deep  cellar  was  used  to  store  cider. 
The  floors  were  sanded,  and  when,  twenty  years  after, 
the  altar  was  carpeted  and  inside  blinds  placed  on 
the  windows,  these  were  regarded  as  innovations  on 
Methodist  simplicity.  Two  willow  trees  shaded  the 
front,  and  on  Morton  Street  was  a  row  of  Lombardy 
poplars.  Services  were  seldom  held  at  night,  except  on 
Sabbath  evenings,  and  for  years  the  church  ha^l  no 
lamps.  The  preachers  having  to  take  long  walks,  they 
were  escorted  across  lots  by  companies  of  young  men 
as  lar  as  Broadway,  and  sometimes  farther.  The  cor- 
ner-stone was  laid  by  John  Robertson,  one  of  the  sta- 
tioned preachers.  His  text  was  Prov.  xxx,  26,  "The 
conies  are  but  a  feeble  folk,  yet  make  they  their  houses 
in  the  rocks."  These  "  conies  "  became  a  rather  strong 
people.     The  dedication  sermon  was  by  Dr.  Phcebus, 

It  soon  became  a  regular  appointment  and  liad  overflowing  congrega- 
tions, and  a  good  revival  took  place.  A  class  was  formed,  of  wliich 
Rev.  S.  Grovvell  was  the  first  leader.  After  three  years  the  place  be- 
came too  strait  for  them,  and  they  removed  totliree  different  places  ui 
succession,  until  finally  the  first  Bedford  Street  church  was  erected. — 
Ohilnary  of  Mrs.  Be  Groot,  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xvi,  p.  112. 

*  But  a  deed  at  IStli  Street  says  they  cost  §2,000.     It  is   from 
Thomas  Smyth,  and  is  dated  February  21,  ISlO. 


Five  Fruitful  Years.  181 

but  we  have  no  record  of  the  date  or  text.  During  the 
labors  of  tlie  Rev.  S.  Howe  (1817-19)  the  death  of  a 
young  lady  in  the  neighborhood  j^roduced  a  deep  im- 
pression, which  was  increased  by  the  funeral  sermon 
preached  by  Mr.  Howe,  and  a  gracious  revival  followed, 
the  first  of  any  note  in  the  history  of  the  society.  In 
1«30,  while  the  Rev.  S.  D.  Ferguson  was  resident 
preacher,  the  building  was  enlarged,  giving  six  feet 
more  in  front  and  nineteen  feet  on  the  south  side,  mak- 
ing the  gallery  on  that  side  much  wider  than  the  other. 
The  new  front  was  of  brick,  the  sides  still  were  wood. 
The  building  continued  to  be  occupied  while  the  work 
was  going  on,  the  rubbish  being  cleared  away  every 
Saturday  night.  This  has  been  one  of  the  most  prosper- 
ous churches  in  the  city.  For  more  than  forty-five  years 
its  lUL-rabership  has  ranged  from  eight  hundred  to  twelve 
hundred.  In  1840  the  present  building  was  erected,  but 
an  account  of  this  must  be  deferred  for  the  present.* 

Allen  Street  seems  to  have  been  a  natural  outgroAvth 
from  Forsyth  Street.  Population  was  coming  into  the 
neighborhood.  Forsyth  Street  and  Bowery  Village, 
though  not  very  far  apart,  were  sometimes  a  little  dif- 
ficult to  reach,  and  the  first  of  these  was  often  so 
crowded  that  those  who  got  there  rather  late  could  not 
find  comfortable  seats.  ^Vhy  not  have  a  church  in  our 
own  neighborhood  ?  began  to  be  asked.  So  land  was 
procured  in  Fourth  (now  Allen)  Street,  between  Delau- 
cey  and  Rivington  Streets,  f 

*  Rev.  E.  S.  Osborn,  D.D.  Greenwich  Village  Fair,  1877. — Pa- 
pers of  David  Demarest. 

f  It  is  said  that  at  a  meeting  in  Forsyth  Street,  wlien  the  location 
of  the  new  cbiircli  was  under  discussion,  it  was  objected  that  the 
place  selected  did  not  furnisli  room  for  a  burial-ground.  In  a«swer 
to  tliis  a  brotlier  spoke  of  the  impropriety  of  interring  tlie  dead  where 
the  living  congregated,  and,  his  views  being  sustained  by  the  Rev.  W. 
Thacher,  the  spot  was  chosen. —  Christian  Advocate^  vol.  xi,  page  3. 


182  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

The  house  was  seventy  by  fifty-two  (or  fifty-five) 
feet,  of  stone  stuccoed,  like  the  others.  Rev.  Dr.  J. 
Kennaclay,  who  Avas  pastor  when  the  succeeding  build- 
ing was  erected,  in  preaching  the  last  sermon  in  the  old 
edifice,  said,  "I  remember  well  when  this  house  was 
building.  I  was  about  ten  years  of  age,  and  was  jmss- 
ing  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street  when  they  were 
singing,  about  to  commence  preaching  from  the  scaffold. 
That  was  the  first  Methodist  hymn  I  ever  heard,  and 
the  first  time  I  ever  listened  to  the  voice  of  a  man 
engaged  in  that  cause  to  which  I  owe  all  I  am  on  earth 
and  all  I  hope  to  be  in  heaven."*  The  dedication  took 
place  on  January  1,  1811.  "The  winter  following  there 
was  a  gracious  outpouring  of  the  Spirit."  "  The  house 
was  soon  filled  to  overflowing,  and  for  several  years  this 
Avas  the  largest  congregation  Ave  had  in  the  city."f 
Afterward  the  attendance  declined,  but  the  great  revival, 
of  Avhich  we  shall  read  by  and  by,  raised  it  again,  so 
that  for  many  years  it  stood  pre-eminent  for  its  steady 
])rosperity.  The  cellar  of  the  first  building  Avas  used 
for  the  storage  of  malt  liquors;  perhaps  a  bu'-ying- 
ground  Avould  have  been  less  objectionable. 

New  York  reported  this  year  (1810)  1,T10  Avhites, 
490  colored;  total  2,200  —  an  increase  of  200.  The 
appointments  Avere,  N.  Bangs,  I  E.  Smith,  J.  Rob- 
ertson, J.  M.  Smith,  P.  P.  Sandford.  J.  CraAvford 
remained  in  charge  of  the  district,  and  D.  Ilitt  Avas 
book  agent. 

From  this  time  onAvard  almost  without  interruption 
for  the  greater  part  of  fifty  years  the  name  of  Nathan 
Bangs  is  found  connected  Avith  NeAV  York  cit5\  As 
pastor,  presiding  elder,  book  agent,  editor,  and  mission- 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  x,  page  207. 

f  Article  by  Rev.  L.  Clark  in  MeiJwdiat  Magazine,  vol.  x  (1S27),  p.  124. 

X  N.  Bano-3  lived  at  7  Second  (Forsytli)  Street. 


Five  Fruitful  Years.  183 

ary  secretary  he  was  known  as  one  of  the  foremost  men 
of  Methodism.  He  was  born  in  Stratford,  Conn.,  May  2, 
17V8;  in  1799  he  Avent  to  Canada  as  teacher  and  sur- 
veyor, and  there,  through  the  labors  of  James  Coleman 
and  Joseph  Sawyer,  he  was  k>d  to  Christ.  In  a  year 
after  conversion  he  was  licensed  as  an  exhorter,  and 
soon  after  as  a  local  pieachei*,  and  in  1801  w^e  find  him 
in  the  itinerant  work.  Some  seven  years  were  spent  in 
Canada  and  two  years  in  New  York  city.  In  1817  and 
1818  he  was  in  New  York  again,  and  in  1819  presiding 
elder  of  the  New  York  District.  From  1820  to  1827  he 
was  book  agent,  from  1828  to  1831  editor  of  the  Chris- 
tian Advocate,  irovci  1832  to  1835  editor  of  the  Quarterly 
Remeiri  and  books  of  the  general  catalogue,  from  1830 
to  1840  corresponding  secretary  of  the  Missionary  So- 
ciety, and  in  1841  and  1842  president  of  the  Wesleyan 
University.  Five  years  were  then  spent  in  charges  in 
New  York  city  and  Brooklyn,  and  four  as  presiding 
elder  of  the  New  York  District.  He  superannuated  in 
1852,  and  died  in  New  York  May  3,  1862,  aged  eighty- 
four  years  and  one  day.  "  He  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  our  Missionary  Society,"  and  ])robably  had  more  to  do 
in  shaping  its  early  history  than  any  other  man.  "  In 
his  prime  he  was  a  weighty  preacher,  a  powerful  debater, 
an  energetic  and  decisive,  if  not  an  elegant,  writer." 
"He  had  his  faults,  and  like  every  thing  else  in  his 
nature  they  were  strongly  marked.  But  if  he  was 
abrupt  sometimes  in  his  replies,  or  emphatic  in  his 
rebukes,  no  man  was  ever  more  habitually  ready  to 
retract  an  undeserved  severity  or  acknowledge  a  mis- 
take. For  about  ten  years  after  his  superannuation  he 
went  in  and  out  among  our  metropolitan  churches 
venerated  and  beloved  as  a  chief  patriarch  of  Method- 
ism. As  he  approached  the  grave  his  character  seemed 
to  mellow  into  the  richest  maturity  of  Christian  experi- 
13 


184  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

ence.  His  favorite  theme  of  conversation  and  preaching 
was  '  entire  sanctification.'  "  * 

Jolin  Robertson  was  horn  in  Xew  Providence,  N.  J., 
in  1782,  joined  the  Methodist  Church  in  1800,  and 
the  traveUng  connection  in  1803.  His  labors  were 
in  New  England,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  and  Penn- 
sylvania. He  died  in  1820.  "He  was  a  man  of  great 
simplicity  of  manners  and  kindliness  of  spirit,  and 
eminently  devoted  to  his  Master's  work."f  Of  James 
M.  Smith  we  know  only  that  he  joined  the  Methodist 
ministry  in  1804,  labored  for  some  twenty  years  in 
New  York  and  New  England,  and  w^as  expelled  in 
1827. 

But  Peter  P.  Sandford  has  a  nobler  record.  Born 
February  28,  1781,  in  New  Jersey,  he  entered  the 
ministry  in  1807,  and  after  some  three  years'  service 
within  the  bounds  of  the  Philadelphia  Conference  came 
to  New  York  city  and  continued  in  the  New  York 
Conference  until  his  death.  Of  his  fifty  years  of  min- 
isterial life  he  spent  six  years  as  stationed  preacher  in 
the  city,  and  eight  years  as  presiding  elder  on  the  New 
York  District,  and  nearly  three  years  as  assistant  book 
ajxent.  He  was  delearate  to  ten  successive  General  Con- 
ferences,  from  181G  to  1852.  He  died  January  14,  1857, 
having  almost  completed  his  sevcnt3"-sixtli  year.  He 
was  a  j)reachcr  of  remarkable  ability  ;  deep,  compact, 
clear,  forcible.  He  received  the  degree  of  D.D.  froni 
the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York.  He  w^as  an 
excellent  authority  in  matters  of  discipline,  and  one  of 
the  most  thorough  presiding  officers  in  a  quarterly 
conference  the  writer  has  ever  known.  His  preachers 
could  depend  on  receiving  from  him  the  very  best  coun- 
sel in  difficult  cases,  and  if  they  followed  it  faithfully 

*New  York  East  Conference  Minutes  of  1863. 

f  Spnigue's  Annali,  p.  524,  note;    General  Minutes  1821. 


Five  Fruitful  Yeaks.  185 

lie  would  sustain  tliem  at  any  cost.     lie  alwa\s  stood 
lor  what  he  believed  to  be  right,  at  all  Jiazards. 

Of  the  events  of  this  Conference  year  we  know 
nothing  except  the  incidents  already  referred  to;  the 
laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  Greenwich  Village 
church  by  the  Rev.  J.  Robertson  and  the  dedication  of 
that  in  Allen  Street,  January  1,  1811.  In  the  one 
case  we  have  the  preacher  and  his  subject,  but  not  the 
date ;  in  the  other  the  date,  but  nothing  about  the 
services.  Among  those  received  on  trial  during  the 
year  was  Michael  Floy,  father  of  Rev.  James  FIov, 
D.D.;  and  among  those  coming  by  letter  was  Mary 
Morgan,  afterward  Mrs.  Mary  W.  Mason.* 

The  first  minutes  of  the  general  leaders'  meeting 
which  have  survived  bear  date  May  8,  1811.  That 
meeting  was  held  at  the  Hudson  (Duane  Street)  Church, 
the  Rev.  N.  Bangs  in  the  chair,  and  John  C.  Totten 
being  secretary.  A  report  of  a  committee  appointed  at 
the  last  meeting  before,  held  in  the  Bowery  (Forsyth 
Street)  Church,  in  regard  to  "  revising  the  laws  for  the 
government  of  the  quarterly  conferences  and  general 
leaders'  meetings,"  was  read.  Only  three  items  are 
recorded  which  were  to  be  added  to  the  rules  already 
existing.  Two  of  these  I'clate  to  enjoining  secrecy  on 
tlie  members  of  those  bodies.  At  the  meeting  of  Jan- 
nary  12,  1814,  we  read:  "On  motion  of  Brother  Car- 
penter the  rule,  or  so  much  of  it  as  enjoins  secrecy 
on  the  members  of  the  leaders  'meeting,  was  expunged." 
It  should  be  said,  however,  that  these  meetings  have 
always  been  regarded  as  confidential.  Without  such 
an  understanding  there  could  be  no  freedom  in  discuss- 
ing many  of  the  matters  which  come  before  them. 

The  Conference  of   1811  met  iu  New  York  city  May 
20,    Bishop    McKendree  -  presiding.      Bishop    Asbury 
*  Book  ii,  p.  68. 


186  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

says:  "Sunday,  19.  As  we  were  preparing  to  go  to  the 
houses  of  God  a  dreadful  fire  broke  out,  consuming  about 
one  hundred  houses.  I  preached  to  some  serious  sisters 
in  John  Street."  The  brethren  were,  no  doubt,  at  tlie 
fire.  "  I  ofiiciated  at  Greenwich  in  the  new  chapel 
after  dinner.  Thursday,  25.  Ordained  deacons.  Bishop 
McKendree  preached.  Sabbath,  27.  I  preached  in  the 
African  chuix-h,  as  also  in  the  new  (probably  Allen 
Street)  and  in  the  Bowery  (Forsyth  Street)  Church.  I 
met  the  societies  in  each  place  of  worship.  Father 
Blackborne's  case  occupied  us  two  days.  He  was  taken 
into  connection  and  ordained  a  deacon,  although  he 
brought  no  recommendation  to  us  from  the  British  or 
any  other  Conference."  This  William  Blackborne,  ur 
Blagborne  (as  his  name  is  spelled  in  the  jMinutes),  was 
stationed  in  New  York  at  this  Conference.  He  was  a 
native  of  England,  and  served  in  the  Avork  there  for  a 
time.  His  stay  in  America  was  brief  ;  in  1815  his  name 
disappears  from  the  Minutes.  He  returned  to  England. 
The  Rev.  Henry  Hatfield  describes  him  as  a  "  large, 
noble-looking  man  and  a  good  preacher."  It  is  said  the 
natural  color  of  his  hair  was  white.*  Asbury  also  writes, 
Thursday,  29:  "  The  society  in  New  York  has  increased. 
Our  chapels  are  ne;it,  and  their  debt  is  not  heavy.  They 
wish  to  rebuild  Juhn  Street  Church  and  to  build  a  small 
house  at  the  Tico  Mile  Stone.''''  "  I  preached  at  Two 
Mile  Stone  and  retired  to  George  Suckley's." 

*  Rev.  Elbert  Osboni  ( Life,p.  38)  speaks  of  liaving  heard  him  preach 
from  1  Pel.  ii,  2,  and  mentions  his  "  tic  rid  connteuHnce "  and  his 
"  somewhat  peculiar  voice  and  enunciation ;  "  also  his  death  in  En- 
gland some  years  after  his  return.  In  the  life  of  Bramwell  (cliap.  xv) 
is  the  following  sentence:  "0,  the  blessed  state  of  that  lioly  man  of 
God,  Mr.  Blagborne,  when  he  was  about  to  depart!  I  saw  him  in 
London  a  short  time  prior  to  his  death,  when  he  exclaimed  with  joy^ 
'  Cilory,  glory  be  to  God,  who  hath  made  me  fully  ready  for  my 
cliange! '  " — Warriner'5  Old  Sands  Street,  p.  413. 


Five  Fruitful  Yeaks.  187 

Asbury's  statement  of  an  increase  is  sustained  by  the 
Conference  report.  It  reads:  Whites,  1,924,  colored,  530; 
total,  2,454— increase,  254.  The  preachers  appointed 
were  X.  Bangs,  W.  Phoebus,  L.  Clark,  W.  Blagborne, 
J.  M.  Smith,  P.  P.  Sandford.*  F.  Garrettson  was  the 
presiding  elder,  and  D.  Hitt  book  agent.  Two  new 
names  are  here.  William  Blagborne  has  been  already 
noticed.  The  other  is  Laban  Clark.  He  was  born  in 
Haverhill,  N.  H.,  July  19,  1778,  was  converted  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one,  and  entered  the  work  under  the  presiding 
elder  in  1800.  He  was  in  the  effective  work  about  fitly 
years,  occupying  prominent  positions  in  the  New  York 
and  New  York  East  Conferences.  He  served  three 
terms  of  two  years  each  in  New  York  city,  and  was  for 
four  years  presiding  elder  on  that  district,  and  sixteen 
years  on  other  districts.  He  was  also  a  member  of  eight 
General  Conferences.  He  shares  Avith  Nathan  Bangs 
the  honor  of  originating  the  Methodist  Missionary  So- 
ciety, and  was  regarded  as  the  father  of  tlie  Wesleyan 
University  at  Middletown,  being  the  president  of  its 
board  of  trustees  from  its  inception  in  1831  until  his 
death  in  1868.  During  the  most  of  that  time  his  home 
was  in  Middletown,  and  it  may  be  said  that  "  he  lived 
and  died  and  was  buried  almost  beneath  its  shadow."  He 
finished  his  course  November  28,  1868,  in  the  ninety- 
first  year  of  his  age,  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  in 
the  rear  of  the  university.  The  Minutes  say:  "He  was 
a  leader  in  the  old  New  York  Conference  and  died  the  pa- 
triarch of  the  New  York  East  Conference.  As  a  preacher 
he  was  sound,  instructive,  and,  in  his  prime,  frequently 
powerful."  f  "  He  was  very  tenacious  of  his  political 
opinions,  and  it  has  been  affirmed  that  those  who  knew 

*  Bangs  and  Plioebns  lived  at  7  Second,  (Forsyth)  Street,  and  Claik 
at  Fourth  (Allen)  Sireet,  near  Dekincey. 
f  General  Minutes. 


188  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

him  well  would  hardly  I'ecognize  a  iiortraiture  of  Lahan 
Clark  that  diil  not  mention  the  fact  that  he  was  a  thor- 
ouofh-ooinir  Democrat  of  the  old  school,  admirinijr  An- 
drew  Jackson  in  respect  to  politics  as  he  did  Jolm  Wes- 
ley in  respect  to  theology."  *  In  his  later  years  his 
countenance  bore  a  marked  resemblance  to  that  of  the 
old  hero  of  New  Orleans. 

Early  in  this  Conference  year  the  leaders'  meeting 
took  steps  to  assist  the  trustees  in  "establishing  due  or- 
der and  regulations "  "durino^  the  time  of  divine  wor- 
ship."  It  appears  from  the  language  of  one  of  the  res- 
olutions that  choirs  were  not  in  existence,  at  least  not 
in  all  the  churches,  for  it  directs  that  they  should  get 
"  two  or  three  of  the  best  of  our  singers  to  sit  together 
in  some  suitable  place  in  each  church  for  the  purpose  of 
setting  the  tunes  and  leatling  the  singing."  They  were 
also  "to  see  that  the  people  be  properly  seated,"  whicli 
was  the  more  necessary  as  the  rule  that  men  and  women 
should  sit  apart  was  rigorously  enforced,  f  The  Metliod- 
ism  of  our  forefathers  is  also  seen  in  their  arrangements 
for  prayer-met'tings.  They  were  held  on  Monday  even- 
ing, and  the  city  was  laid  out  in  districts,  of  which  there 
were  three,  and  three  or  four  appointments  were  included 
in  each  district.  Each  company  consisted  of  about  six 
members  (afterward  there  were  sometimes  nine  or  ten), 
and  they  were  "to  change  weekly  within  their  districts."  J 

*  Warriiier's  Old  Sands  Street,  p.  235.  f  Book  viii,  p.  3. 

I  These  districts  and  subdivisions  as  they  appear  from  the  first  rec- 
ord we  have  were  as  follows: 

First  District. — John  Street  Church,  Bo  werj  (Forsyth  Street)  Church, 
Corlear's  Hook  (near  tlie  foot  of  Grand  Street,  East  River;  the  region 
now  provided  for  by  Willett  Street). 

Second  District — Greenwich  Church  (Bedford  street),  Hudson 
Church  (Duane  Street),  Almshouse  (then  on  the  Common,  now  City 
Hall  Park). 

Third  Disirict.— Two  Mile  Stone  (Seventh  Street),  Fourth  (Allen) 


Five  Fkuitful  Years.  189 

Every  six  months  these  committees  were  clianged.  The 
plan  was  well  adapted  to  keep  up  an  interesting  variety 
in  the  exercises  and  hind  the  congregations  in  closer 
fellowship.  The  first  named  on  each  list  was  the  leader. 
The  last  full  list  of  appointments  was  made  Ai)ril  20, 
1814.  Some  time  between  October  13,  1814,  and  July 
8,  1816,  the  meeting  was  changed  to  Wednesday  even- 
ing. At  the  leaders'  meeting  on  the  last  date  only  one 
person  Avas  appointed  to  each  meeting,  who  was  to  call 
on  others  to  assist  him.  The  last  notice  of  such  an  ap- 
pointment is  under  date  of  July  13,  1818,  when  the  city 
was  divided  into  three  districts  (but  no  subdivisions 
were  specified)  and  nine  or  ten  ])ersons  assigned  to  each. 

Another  illustration  of  the  same  regard  for  method 
is  found  in  the  Minutes  of  the  leaders'  meeting  of  Oc- 
tober 9,  1811.  It  was  the  custom  for  the  prencher  to 
give  to  every  person  received  as  a  probationer  a  permit, 
which  he  Avas  to  cany  to  the  leader  of  the  class  to 
Avhich  he  was  assigned.  It  was  ordered  at  this  meeting 
"that  Avhen  the  probationer  presents  the  permit  to  the 
leader  he  shall  receive  and  keep  the  same  ;  and  when  a 
love-feast  is  to  be,  the  probationer  shall  receive  from 
the  leader  a  ticket  in  these  Avords  :  '  The  bearer,  A.  B., 
is  a  probationer  in  my  class,'  signed  by  the  leader  and 
dated,  Avhich  shall  be  their  admittance  to  love-feast  for 
that  time  only,  and  the  ticket  shall  be  delivered  to  one 
of  the  door-keepers."  This  rule  continued  for  more 
than  twenty  years. 

At  the  meeting  of   February  12,   1812,  a  plan  Avas 

Street  Church,  Mnnhattan  Island  (the  progenitor  of  Second  Street 
Church),  and  John  Valenthie's,  at  the  ferry.  [In  the  Directory  for 
1811  we  find  the  name  of  John  Valentine,  a  cartman,  residing  in 
Columbia  Street,  near  Broome.  Tlie  same  book 'locates  the  Long 
Island  Ferry  (that  to  Williamsburg,  no  doubt)  at  the  foot  of  Broome 
S'reet.     This  must  have  been  "  Joiin  Valentine's,  at  the  ferry."] 


190  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  Citt. 

presented  by  the  president,  Rev.  N.  Bangs,  "for  the 
raising  a  fund  for  the  support  of  poor  widows  of 
preacheis  and  their  orphans,  and  for  the  relief  of  worn- 
out  preachers,  etc."  A  committee,  consisting  of  the 
Rev.  N.  Bangs,  Jos.  Smith,  Jolm  Davies,  Paul  Hick, 
and  Geo.  Taylor,  was  appointed  to  consider  the  subject, 
and  at  an  extia  meeting  held  March  25  a  report  Mas 
adopted  suggesting  to  the  General  Conference  to  take 
steps  to  establish  such  a  fund.  This  report  will  be 
found  in  the  Minutes  of  that  meeting.  On  May  13,  at 
the  suggestion  of  the  president,  Rev.  N.  Bangs,  it  was 
decided  to  appoint  a  person  to  keep  a  record  of  trials, 
including  the  names  of  the  accusers  and  accused,  the 
names  of  the  committee,  and  the  decision  of  the  same, 
and  also  tlie  crime.  John  Davies  Avas  appointed.  This 
record  is  still  in  existence.* 

The  first  delegated  General  Conference  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church  was  held  in  New  York  city  May  1, 
1812.  Before  this  all  the  traveling  elders  were  mem- 
bers of  that  body;  now,  for  the  first  time,  only  a  select 
number  (one  in  five)  from  each  Annual  Conference 
attended.  The  sessions  were  probably  held  in  the  John 
Street  church.     Asbury  says  :  f     "I  saw  nothing  like 

*  Some  time  in  1811  or  1812  a  list  of  local  preachers,  exhortcrs, 
and  trustees  was  put  on  record.  Book  vii,  p.  287.  The  names  wero : 
Elders— Daniel  Smith,  Mitchell  B.  Bull,  Joel  Ketclmm.  Deacons — 
Robert  Bonsel,  Jesse  Oakley,  James  Carson.  Local  Preachers — M. 
Havalind  Smith,  Roderick  McCloud,  Abraham  Stag,  George  Hatfield, 
Jesse  Hunt,  AVait  Munson,  Jesse  Merritt.  Exhorters — Theodosius 
Clark,  Joseph  Smith,  Isaac  Pranl  (moved  to  England),  Nathan  Wliite- 
liead,  J.  B.  AV.  Butler,  George  Phillips,  Robert  Beaty.  Trustees — 
Thomas  Carpenter,  president;  Abraham  Russell,  treasurer:  Joseph 
Smith,  Paul  Hick,  Wilham  Mead,  Gilbert  Coutant,  Israel  Disosway 
(deceased),  Charles  Gilman,  George  Suckley,  Cornehus  Poliiamus, 
George  Taylor. 

f  Journal,  May  1,  1812. 


Five  Fruitful  Years.  191 

unkindness  but  once,  and  there  were  many  and  weighty 
affairs  discussed,"  He  also  says  (Journal,  May  IT):  "I 
had  seventeen  of  the  preachers  to  dine  with  me.  Tliere 
Avas  vinegar,  mustard,  and  a  still  grenter  portion  of  oil; 
but  the  disappointed  parties  sat  down  in  peace,  and  we 
enjoyed  our  sober  meal," 

On  Sabbath,  May  10,  Asbury  preached  at  the 
African  church  in  the  morning  ;  also  at  the  Hudson 
chapel  (Duane  Street),  He  says  it  was  an  awful  time. 
On  the  17th,  at  the  Two-mile  Stone,  his  subject  was 
1  Pet,  iv,  6-9,  He  preached  also  at  Greenwich,  and  at 
John  Street,  On  Monday  he  was  sick  and  went  to 
George  Suckley's  and  took  to  his  bed,  but  on  Tuesday 
began  his  New  England  tour.  Amons;  the  names  of 
those  received  during  this  Conference  year  we  find 
Peter  and  Hannah  Badeau  and  Mitchell  B.  Bull,  the 
last  by  certificate.  Also  Jas.  and  Grace  Stephenson, 
the  parents  of  John  Stephenson,  from  Ireland.* 

*  Bouk  vii,  pp.  13,  221. 


192  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  OLD  GARNER  GIVES  PLACE  TO  A  NEW  ONE— CON- 
FERENCE OF  1812  TO  BUILDING  OF  SKCOND  JOHN 
STREET  CHURCH,   1818. 

On  the  4th  of  June,  1812,  the  New  York  Conference 
met  at  Albany.  Bishop  Asbury  w^as  present,  but  Mc- 
Kenclree  presided.  New  York  city  reported  2,054 
white  and  540  colored  members  ;  in  all  2,594 — an  in- 
crease of  140.  The  appointments  read  :  J.  Crawford, 
AV.  Phtt-bus,  L.  Clark,  and  P.  Cook.*  F.  Garrettson 
remained  as  Presiding  Elder,  and  T.  "NVarj  was  made 
assistant  to  D.  Hitt  as  book  agent.  The  name  of 
Phineas  Cook  is  the  only  one  that  appears  now  for 
the  first  time.  He  was  born  in  Creenfield,  Mass., 
March  10,  1V84,  converted  in  1800,  and  admitted  on 
trial  at  the  Conference  of  1803.  He  labored  in  New 
York  State  and  New  England  ;  was  superannuated  in 
1840;  and  died  at  Mechanicsville,  N.  Y.,  May  26,  1861. 
He  was  a  good  preacher  and  a  faithful,  useful,  and  ac- 
ce])tal)le  laborer. 

The  leaders'  meeting  minutes  give  us  the  only  items 
to  be  found  of  the  history  of  this  Conference  year. 
On  June  24,  1812,  it  was 

"•  Resolved,  That  it  is  the  wish  of  this  meeting  that  all 
the  stationed,  located,  and  local  preachers  and  all  the 
licensed  exliorters  of  this  city  take  chnrge  of  classes, 
and  that  the  president  make  this  request  known  to 
them.     The  ruling  preacher  is  excepted." 

*  Crawford  lived  at  32  John  Street,  Phajims  at  T  Second  (Forf^ytli) 
Sireet,  and  Cook  at  1  Anthony  (Wortli)  Street. 


The  Old  Garxer  Gives  Place  to  a  Xew  Oxe.   193 

At  the  meeting  of  October  7  a  coininittee  appointed 
at  the  last  meeting  jjresented  a  report  containing  the 
following  resolutions  : 

"First,  That  it  shall  hereafter  be  deemed  the  duty 
of  any  person  or  persons  who  wish  to  have  a  child  bap- 
tized in  either  of  our  churches  or  elsewhere,  to  call  on 
some  one  of  the  stationed  preachers  and  obtain  from 
hira  a  certificate,  specifying  the  birthday  and  name  of 
the  child,  also  the  parents'  names.  And  at  the  time 
the  child  is  brought  forward  to  be  l»aptized  the  certifi- 
cate is  to  be  presented  also,  on  sight  of  which  the  min- 
ister shall  be  at  liberty  to  baptize  the  child,  but  not 
without."* 

"  Seco)idly,  That  hereafter  it  is  to  be  understood,  in 
all  cases  where  it  is  possible,  that  the  father  and  mother 
be  present,  and  that  one  of  them  present  the  child  to 
the  minister,  cases  of  widowhood  excepted." 

"  T/iirdly,  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  minister 
who  performs  the  ordinance  to  see  that  the  certificate 
is  recorded." 

In  after  years  these  recpiirements  were  somewhat 
modified,  so  that  it  was  necessary  only  that  the  parents 
should  hand  in  a  statement  of  the  items  referred  to  in 
the  first  resolution.  The  provision  was  wise,  preventing 
awkward  mistakes,  such  as  baptizing  a  child  of  one  sex 
with  a  name  appropriate  only  to  the  other,  and  securing 
the  means  of  a  correct  record  in  each  case,  f 

Among  those  received  during  this  Conference  year 

*A  cop3'  of  one  of  tliese.  certificates  was  found  in  one  of  the  old 
record  books^  and  is  now  affixed  to  pajre  127,  Book  vi.  It  reads: 
"Baptise  George  "Washington,  son  of  James  and  Ruth  Pell,  born 
June  30,  1819.  vSaml.  Merwin,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  16,  1819."  Tlie  record 
of  the  baptism  will  be  found  on  the  same  page. 

f  A  list  of  the  class-leaders  at  this  time  will  be  fotnid  in  Ap- 
pendix P;  also  some  rules  as  to  the  business  of  the  leaders' 
meetincr. 


194  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

were  James  and  Mary  Demarest,  and  Morris  DeCarap ; 
also  John  Paradise,  by  letter.* 

On  Thursday,  May  20,  ]813,  the  Conference  met  at 
Amenia,  and  again,  though  Asbury  was  present,  McKen- 
drce  presided.  AVhites,  1,851,  colored,  627  ;  in  all 
2,478,  is  the  report — a  loss  of  116.  The  appoint- 
ments were  P.  Cook,  J.  Crawford,  S.  Cochran,  f  and 
P.  Rice.  F.  Garrettson  remained  as  presiding  elder, 
and  D.  Hitt  and  T.  Ware  continued  as  editors  and 
book  stewards. 

Samuel  Cochran  was  born  August  31,  1778,  at  Hali- 
fax, Vt.,  and  converted  in  1800.  He  entered  the  work 
in  1804,  and  had  labored  in  New  York  State,  New  En- 
gland, and  Canada.  After  two  years  in  the  city  he  spent 
about  twenty  in  the  States  of  New  York  and  Connecti- 
cut, and  in  1834  was  again  appointed  to  the  city.  He 
died  in  1845.  "In  labors  he  was  abundant  and  success- 
ful"! 

No  name  in  this  list  became  more  widely  and  favor- 
ably known  than  that  of  Phineas  Rice,  No  sketch 
for  which  we  have  room  here  will  satisfy  tliose  who 
knew  him  or  make  him  known  to  those  who  knew  him 
not.  Born  in  1786  in  Vermont,  and  converted  when 
about  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  soon  began  to  exercise  his 
gifts,  and  with  such  success  that  lie  was  received  on 
trial  in  1807.  He  spent  but  one  year  in  the  city  at 
this  time,  but  returned  in  1823,  and  again  in  1839,  and 
again  in  1844,  on  all  of  which  occasions  he  remained 
two  years.  He  was  also  presiding  elder  of  the  New 
York  District  for  seven  years.  His  appointments  out- 
side of  the  city  were  prominent  and  responsible.  From 
1820  to  1856,  in  every  General  Conference  but  one,  he 
was  a  delegate.     He  was  a  man  of  marked  ability  in 

*  Book  vii,  pp.  43,  44,  187. 

f  Cocliran's  home  was  at  224  Duaue  Street.        :f  Minutes  of  1846. 


The  Old  Garner  Gives  Place  to  a  New  One.   195 

the  pulpit,  of  genuine  piety  and  rigid  integrity.  His 
humor  and  eccentricities  became  widely  known,  and  in 
some  directions  perhaps  obscured  the  more  solid  ele- 
ments of  his  character.  But  those  who  knew  Phineas 
Rice  well  knew  that,  like  his  great  namesake,  he  was 
"  zealous  for  his  God,"  and  that  he  gave  honest  testi- 
mony when,  on  his  dying  bed,  he  said  to  Bishop  Janes, 
"I  feel  that  God  loves  me."  December  4,  1861,  was 
the  date  of  his  decease. 

At  a  leaders'  meeting  at  John  Street,  September  8, 
1813,  Phineas  Cook,  President,  "A  letter  which  had 
been  put  in  the  hands  of  the  president,  directed,  to  this 
body,  was  opened  and  read,"  but  for  want  of  time  the 
discussion  of  the  matter  referred  to  in  it  was  post- 
poned. Brother  Munson  declared  himself  the  author. 
The  minutes  of  the  next  meeting,  held  at  the  Bowery 
(Forsyth  Street)  Church,  October  13,  say:  "As  the 
business  of  the  evening  av as  of  a  peculiar  and  interest- 
ing nature,  very  few  belonging  to  the  bod}^  were  ab- 
sent, and  several  who  did  not  belong  appearing  in  the 
meeting,"  the  injunction  of  secrecy  was  taken  off  for 
the  evening,  and  those  present  who  were  not  members 
of  the  meeting  were  permitted  to  remain.  A  motion 
to  read  the  letter  referred  to  in  the  minutes  of  the  last 
meeting  was  opposed.  A  motion  was  carried  that  the 
author  put  his  signature  to  the  letter.  Brother  Munson 
accordingly  signed  it.  A  motion  to  burn  the  letter 
was  lost,  and  finally  it  was  decided  that  the  letter  be 
read.  It  is  given  in  full,  not  only  because  it  is  a  part  of 
the  history  of  the  time,  but  also  because  it  has  a  bearing 
on  events  that  occurred  a  few  years  later: 

To  the  President  and  Leaders  of  the  Metliodist  Conference  in  the 
city  of  New  York,  at  Jolin  Street  Church,  September  8,  1813,  by  a 
member  of  the  body. 

The  following  questions  are  respectfiilly  submitted  to  the  candid 


196  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

and   impartial  consideration  of  tlie  leaders'   meeting  in  the  city  of 
Xew  Yorl^ : 

1.  How  many  traveling  preachers  have  been  appointed  by  tlie 
last  yearly  Conference  for  the  service  of  tlie  city  of  New  York? 

2.  Were  more  than  four  preachers  asked  for  from  the  Conference, 
and  was  that  number  deemed  sufiEiciont  for  the  ministerial  labors  of 
the  city? 

3.  By  whom,  and  by  what  authority,  is  a  fifth  preacher  appointed, 
if  not  by  the  Annual  Conference  ? 

4.  Whose  duty  is  it,  agreeable  to  our  Discipline  and  the  laws 
of  this  State,  to  pay  the  salaries  and  provide  for  the  maintenance 
and  support  of  our  stationed  ministers,  and  their  respective  families? 

5.  "Was  the  monthly  subscription  in  our  classes  nt  first  in- 
tended to  be  set  apart  as  a  sinking  fund,  to  pay  off  the  debt  of  the 
Church  ? 

6.  Has  the  money  thus  contributed  by  the  people  ever  been  ap- 
plied to  the  end  for  which  it  was  given  and  intended  ? 

7.  Is  it  not  reasonable  and  just,  too,  that  a  yearly  report  should  be 
made  to  the  people  who  thus  voluntarily  subscribe  to  this  sinking 
fund? 

It  would  be  both  satisfying  and  enc<niraging  to  them  to  know  how 
much  of  tlie  cliurches'  debt  has  been  reduced  by  their  hberality. 

W.  Muxsox. 

This  was  answered  by  tlie  trustees,  as  follows:  To  the  first  ques- 
tion they  replied  that  lour  preachers  were  appointed  by  the  Confer- 
ence in  a  formal  manner,  and  one  informally. 

2.  No;  the  trustees  deeming  that  number  sufficient.  The  ruling 
preaclier  being  absent:  but  when  informed  of  the  number  he  was 
decidedly  of  the  opinion  that  there  ought  to  be  five. 

3.  By  the  request  of  the  presiding  elder. 

4.  The  Discipline  directs  that  the  stewards  on  circuits  shall  pay 
the  preachers.  But  this  being  a  station,  and  an  incorporated  body, 
that  rule  does  not  apply  to  us,  and  the  law  of  the  State  makes  it  the 
duty  of  the  trustees  to  pay  the  salaries  and  provide  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  preachers. 

5.  We  know  of  no  rule  that  makes  it  binding  on  us  to  use  that 
money  separately  and  exclusively  for  that  purpose. 

6.  We  have  applied  it  for  the  purposes  intended,  according  to  the 
beat  of  our  judgment. 

7.  That  our  yearly  reports  will  show  the  sum  collected  yearly  from 
the  classes. 


The  Old  Garner  Gives  Place  to  a  New  One.  197 

The  minutes  add: 

After  the  questions  were  tluis  answered  many  others  relating  to 
tliem  were  asked  and  answered.  And  wlien  all  were  done  a  motion 
was  made,  We,  the  meeting,  are  satisfied  with  the  answers  given  by 
the  trustees.  Upon  the  vote  being  taken  there  was  not  a  dissenting 
voice. 

So  complete,  indeed,  does  the  satisfaction  appear  to 
have  been  that  we  find  nothing  further  in  the  minutes 
in  regard  to  the  matter. 

The  purport  of  questions  one,  two,  and  tliree  Avill  be 
better  understood  if  we  look  at  a  few  facts.  Bishop 
Asbury,  under  date  of  May  23  of  this  year,  speaks  of 
"  Joshua  Marsden,  a  British  missionary,  who  has  been 
present  at  our  Conference."  Mr.  Marsden  had  been 
missionary  in  Nova  Scotia  and  on  the  island  of  Ber- 
muda, and  in  the  spring  of  1812  came  to  New  York  on 
his  way  to  England.  When  he  arrived  in  New  York, 
however,  he  found  that  an  embargo  had  been  laid  on 
vessels,  forbidding  them  to  leave  the  port,  and  this  was 
succeeded  in  the  following  June  by  a  declaration  of 
war  against  England.  Being  compelled  to  stay  in  this 
country,  he  naturally  did  what  ministerial  work  he  could. 
That  the  city  was  needing  more  than  four  preachers 
seems  to  be  indicated  by  the  fact  that  in  1814  six  were 
appointed.  Mr.  Marsden  was  a  member  of  the  British 
Conference,  and  could  not,  therefore,  be  received  offi- 
cially without  a  regular  transfer  ;  and  this  he  did  not 
desire,  as  he  was  waiting  an  opportunity  to  go  home. 
Some  understanding,  therefore,  was  probably  had  that 
he  should  be  employed  in  the  city,  and  thus  the  second 
question  is  explained  ;  only  four  preachers  were  ap- 
pointed by  the  Conference  in  a  formal  manner,  and  one 
informally.  Perhaps  there  would  have  been  no  trouble 
had  it  not  been  that  Mr.  Marsden  was  an  exceedingly 
loyal  Englishman,   and  the  country  was  then  at  war 


198  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

with  Great  Britain.  No  doubt  there  was  too  much 
warmth  on  both  sides.  In  the  minutes  of  the  Assist- 
ance Society  *  for  Februay  24  and  March  2,  1814,  we 
find  that,  having  made  arrangements  with  Mr.  Marsden 
to  deliver  an  address  before  the  society,  the  preachers 
"  would  not  sanction  such  a  proceeding,  nor  would  they 
consent  (if  Mr.  Marsden  was  chosen  to  deliver  the 
address)  to  open  the  meeting  by  an  address  to  the 
throne  of  grace."  On  motion,  however,  of  Paul  Hick, 
seconded  by  John  Wilson,  Marsden  was  requested  to 
deliver  the  addiess,  and  at  the  meeting  of  April  6 
thanks  were  voted  to  him  for  it,  and  also  to  Mr.  James 
Evans  (the  chorister  of  John  Street  Church)  and  the 
liev.  Mr.  Brady  for  their  assistance.!  The  questions 
relating  to  finances,  though  apparently  amicably  settled 
at  the  time,  were  agitated  afterward,  and  helped  to 
prepare  the  way  for  the  secession  of  1820. 

But  these  discussions  did  not  altogether  distract  the 
attention  of  preachers  and  people  from  the  work  of  God. 
At  the  Conference  of  1814,  held  in  the  city.  May  5,  1800 
whites  and  763  colored  were  reported,  in  all  2,563 — a 
gain  of  85.  Bishop  Asbury  was  not  present  at  this 
Conference.  McKendree  presided.  Garrettson  was 
continued  as  presiding  elder,  and  Hitt  and  Ware  as 
book  stewards,  and  the  preachers  were  W.  Phoebus,  S. 
Cochran,  N.  Emery,  M.  Richardson,  T.  Drummond, 
and  W.  Blagborne. 

Nathan  Emery  was  born  in  Minot,  Me.,  in  1780,  con- 
verted at  the  age  of  fifteen,  made  class-leader  when  six- 
teen, and  admitted  on  trial  in  the  Conference  when  nine- 
teen years  of  age.  In  1822  he  located,  but  in  1829  was 
re-admitted  into  the  Ohio  Conference;  superannuated  in 

*  Book  V. 

f  A  Rev.  John  Brady  was  at  that  time  connected  with  St.  George's 
Episcopal  Church  in  Beekman  Street. 


The  Old  Garner  Gives  Place  to  a  New  One.  199 

1838,  and  died  May  27,  1849.  Ebenezer  Washburn,  his 
colleague  in  1804,  describes  hira  as  a  "  loving  companion, 
pious,  laborious,  a  good  preacher,  and  a  lover  of  Wes- 
leyan  Methodism.* 

Marvin  Richardson  lived  to  be  the  patriarch  of  the 
New  York  Conference.  He  was  born  at  Stephentown, 
N.  Y.,  June  10,  1789,  came  with  his  .parents  to  Brook- 
lyn while  young,  was  converted  in  1806,  and  in  1808, 
when  nineteen  years  of  age,  was  received  on  trial  in  the 
Conference.  He  labored  in  New  York  in  1814-15, 
again  in  1821-22,  and  also  from  1838-41.  For  fifteen 
yearr  he  was  presiding  elder,  though  not  on  the  New 
York  District.  He  was  delegate  to  seven  General  Con- 
ferences. He  was  a  man  of  fine  appearance  and  most 
excellent  spirit.  The  record  of  his  labors  extended  over 
nearly  seventy  years.  He  died  in  Poughkeepsie,  June 
14,  1876,  aged  87.  His  son-in-law.  Rev.  L.  M.  Vincent, 
has  long  been  a  prominent  member  of  the  New  York 
Conference;  and  his  grandson,  Rev.  M.  R.  Vincent,  has 
been  the  very  able  and  successful  pastor  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  the  Covenant,  New  York  city,  and  is 
now  a  professor  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary, 
New  York. 

Thomas  Drummond's  career  was  brief.  It  begins  in 
obscurity,  for  we  have  no  record  of  his  birth  nor  con- 
version, and  it  ends  in  darkness,  for  he  was  expelled  in 
1816.  He  seems  to  have  been  very  popular  and  useful 
in  the  instruction  of  children,  f 

On  Jidy  1,  1814,  the  trustees  leased  to  Michael  Moore 
a  portion  of  their  ground,  probably  in  the  rear  of  the 
church  in  John  Street.  J 

*  Warriner's  Old  Sands  Street,  p.  203. 

f  Warriner's  Old  Sands  Street.     He  must  not  be  confounded  with  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Drummond  who  "died  at  his  post"  in  St.  Louis  in  1835. 
X  Papers  in  hands  of  trustees  of  Eighteenth  Street  Church. 
14 


200  A  HisTOKY  OF  Methodisai  in  New  Yoek  City. 

The  war  with  Great  Britain  proved  no  small  tax  on 
the  energies  and  means  of  the  citizens  of  New  York. 
Not  only  were  many  in  the  army,  but  much  labor  and 
expense  were  api)lied  in  improving  the  fortifications  at 
the  Battery  and  elsewhere;  men  of  all  classes  and  voca- 
tions, masons,  carpenters,  shoe-makers,  merchants,  etc., 
turned  out  in  distinct  bodies  to  aid  in  the  work.  The 
Methodist  Assistance  Society  in  its  report  (December 
1,  1814)  refers  to  these  facts  as  calling  for  increased 
contributions  to  help  the  poor.  A  treaty  of  peace  was, 
however,  concluded  at  Ghent,  December  24,  1814.  The 
disturbed  state  of  affairs  naturally  had  its  effect  on  the 
Church,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  report  at  the 
Conference  of  1815  showed  a  decrease.  The  numbers 
were  1,680  whites,  763  colored;  total  2,443 — loss,  120. 

This  Conference  met  at  Albany  on  May  12.  Bishop 
McKendree  presided.  Asbury  was  there,  but  not  able 
to  be  present  much  of  the  time.  He  says,  "  Saturday 
(2Cth)  I  paid  an  hour's  visit  to  my  brethren  in  Confer- 
ence." He  was  also  with  them  on  Tuesday  and  Thurs- 
day, and  preached  the  funeral  sermon  for  Di-.  Coke  on 
Sunday,  the  21st.  This  was  his  last  visit  to  the  New 
York  Conference;  before  its  next  session  he  had  ended 
his  labors.  Ou  Sunday,  the  14th,  before  he  came  to  Al- 
bany, he  preached  in  New  York  city  at  the  North 
Church  (Duane  Street),  and  on  his  return,  Sabbath,  June 
18,  he  says,  "Attended  Fourth  (Allen)  Street  chapel; 
my  subject  Zeph.  i,  12;  time  was  when  I  could  have 
preached  upon  this  text."  On  Tuesday  he  "spoke  a 
few  words  at  the  African  cliapel,  both  colors  being  pres- 
ent." The  people  no  doubt  felt  they  should  "see  his 
face  no  more."     That  evening  he  left  New  York  forever. 

The  appointments  for  New  York  were,  W.  Phoebus, 
W.  Thacher,  E.  Washburn,  M.  Richardson,  and  A. 
Scholefield.     S.  Merwin  was  the  new  presiding  elder. 


The  Old  Garner  Gives  Place  to  a  Neav  Oxe.  201 

Ebenezer  Washburn  was  born  in  Worcester  County, 
JVIass.,  October,  1772.  He  joined  the  Conference  in  1801, 
and  with  the  exception  of  three  years  remained  effective 
until  1843.  After  serving  in  New  York  two  years  he 
was  presiding  elder  of  the  Rhinebeck  District,  and  was 
again  in  New  York  in  1823-24.  He  died  in  peace  De- 
cember 29,  1857,  at  Racine,  Wis.  "He  was  an  able 
and  successful  preacher  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and 
was  universally  respected  and  beloved."  His  sternness 
of  aspect  prepared  the  way  for  a  surprise  to  all  who  had 
an  opportunity  to  become  well  acquainted  with  him,  for 
he  was  peculiarly  genial  and  kind,  especially  to  young 
preachers,  as  the  writer  can  testify  from  experience. 

Arnold  Scholefield  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia,  entered 
the  work  in  1810,  and  labored  very  usefully,  part  of  the 
time  as  presiding  elder,  until  he  became  supernumerary, 
in  1828.  He  re-entered  the  field  in  1832,  and  was  ap- 
pointed presiding  elder  of  the  Troy  District,  but  before 
the  year  closed  had  an  attack  of  paralysis,  which  put 
a  period  to  all  regular  effective  service.  Another  stroke 
in  1836  proved  fatal.  He  was  an  able  and  useful  min- 
ister of  Christ. 

Mr.  Washburn  has  left  the  following  statement  in  re- 
gard to  New  York  Methodism  at  this  period :  "  There 
were  at  that  time  no  church  stewards  in  the  city;  the 
board  of  trustees  received  all  the  money  raised  by  the 
Church,  held  all  property  belonging  to  the  Church  in 
trust,  and  paid  the  preachers  out  of  the  money  raised 
for  that  purpose."*  The  trustees,  he  tells  us,  were  Paul 
Hick,  Thomas  Carpenter,  Joseph  Smith,  Ab.  Russel, 
George  Suckley,  Gilbert  Coutant,  James  Donaldson, 
George  Taylor,  and  John  C.  Totten.  f 

This  Conference  year  has  bequeathed  to  us  very  little 
history.  Gabriel  P.  Disosway  and  David  Demarest  were 
*  See  p.  196.  f  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xvii,  p.  137. 


202  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

received  into  the  Church,  and  Daniel  DeYinne  came  by 
certificate  from  Albany,  and  Joseph  Harper  from  New- 
town, L.  I.*  But  the  year  was  a  fairly  prosperous  one, 
for  the  report  at  the  Conference  of  1816  was  1,769 
whites,  803  colored;  total  2,5Y2 — again  of  129.  The 
Conference,  at  which  Bishop  Roberts  presided,  met  in 
New  York  on  June  1,  and  the  appointments  were  D. 
Ostrander,  W.  Thacher,  E.  Washburn,  L.  Andrus,  and 
A.  Scholefield;  S.  Merwin  was  continued  on  the  dis- 
trict; J.  Soule  and  T.  Mason  were  the  book  agents. 

The  city  was  one  circuit,  the  preachers  going  from 
one  church  to  another  in  rotation,  seldom  preaching 
twice  in  one  day  to  the  same  congregation.  It  was 
customary  at  the  beginning  of  the  Conference  year  to 
prepare  a  plan,  and  this  was  printed  for  the  convenience 
of  the  preachers  and  such  of  the  laity  as  saw  fit  to  pur- 
chase copies.  A  copy  of  that  for  181 6-1 V,  the  earliest 
that  has  been  found,  is  pasted  inside  the  cover  of  one 
of  the  old  record  books,  f 

At  the  leaders'  meeting  of  October  14,  1816,  at  the 
suggestion  of  L.  S.  Burling,  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  draw  up  a  plan  of  a  school  for  the  education  of  the 
children  of  Methodists.  A  report  was  made  at  the  next 
meeting,  which  was  finally  adopted,  and  a  school  was 
established  a  few  years  after. 

The  Conference  of  1817  began  at  Middlebury,  Yt.,  on 
June  3,  Bishop  McKendree  presiding.  The  report  of 
membership  in  New  York  stood,  2,010  white,  843  col- 
ored; in  all  2,853 — a  gain  of  281.  The  appointments 
were  D.  Ostrander,  N.  Bangs,  S.  Crowell,  and  S.  Howe. 
S.  Merwin  continued  as  presiding  elder,  and  J.  Soule 
and  T.  Mason  as  book  agents.  Why  there  should  be 
one  preacher  less  than  in  the  preceding  year  does  not 
appear. 

*  Book  vii,  pp.  45,  260,  44,  102.  f  Book  x.     See  Appendix.  T 


The  Old  Garner  Gives  Place  to  a  New  One.  203 

The  names  of  all  these  stationed  preachers  we  have 
met  with  before  except  that  of  Samuel  Howe.  He  was 
born  in  Belchei-,  Mass.,  in  1781,  and  entered  the  work 
in  1802.  Nearly  thirty  years  he  sjjent  in  the  effective 
ranks,  for  about  fifteen  he  was  supernumerary,  and  the 
last  ten  of  his  life  superannuated.  On  the  16th  of 
February,  1858,  he  attended  the  funeral  of  an  old  friend 
at  the  North  Second  Street  Church  in  Troy,  made  a  few 
remarks,  and  retired  to  a  class-room  in  the  basement, 
where  he  died  in  a  few  moments.  "  He  was  a  faithful 
man  and  feared  God  above  many."* 

But  the  preachers  were  to  preach  no  more  in  the 
building  that  Philip  Embury  dedicated.  In  1810, 
as  has  already  been  stated,!  Asbury  wrote,  "  This  house 
must  come  down,  and  something  larger  and  better  occupy 
its  place."  The  next  year  he  says.  The  people  "  wish  to 
rebuild  John  Street  Church,  and  to  build  a  small  house 
at  the  Two-mile  Stone."  There  was  strenuous  oppo- 
sition, however,  to  the  rebuilding,  particularly  by  the 
brethren  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  city.  The  trustees 
therefore  hesitated  for  a  while,  but  finally  gave  a  condi- 
tional assent.  The  Rev.  W.  Thacher,  one  of  the  stationed 
preachers,  had  been  very  successful  in  raising  the  neces- 
sary funds  for  what  are  now  the  Allen  Street  and  Bedford 
Street  churches,  and  it  was  agreed  that  if  he  could  get, 
in  five  days,  a  sufficient  subscription  the  work  should  be 
done.  At  the  end  of  the  five  days  Mr.  Thacher  showed 
a  list  for  -^5,000,  and  this  settled  the  question.  On  May 
13,1  l^^'^j  ^^^^  walls  were  demolished,  and  on  the  22d  the 

*0u  the  3d  of  August,  1817,  the  Wesleyan  Fi-male  Tract  Society 
was  organized,  and  some  time  during  the  year  the  Asbury  Female 
Mite  Society,  to  aid  the  preachers  and  their  widows  and  orphans,  and 
for  tnissionary  work.  f  See  p.  178. 

^  On  the  evening  of  May  12  the  last  service  (a  love-feast)  was  held 
in  the  old  building.    It  was  '•  a  gracious  season."    Ou  January  26,  1818, 


204  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

corner-stone  of  the  new  building  was  laid,  the  Rev.  D. 
Ostrander  preaching-  on  Zecli.  iv,  9.  On  January  4,  1818, 
it  was  dedicated.  Rev.  N.  Bangs  preached  in  the 
morning  on  Psa.  cxxvi,  3:  "  The  Lord  hath  done  great 
things  for  us,  whereof  we  are  glad;"  Rev.  S.  Merwin 
in  the  afternoon,  on  Matt,  xvi,  18:  "On  this  rock  I  will 
build  my  church;  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  it;"  and  Rev.  J.  Soule  in  the  evening,  on  John 
iv,  24:  "God  is  a  Spirit,  and  they  that  worship  him 
must  worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth."  *  A  jubi- 
late on  the  One  hundredth  Psalm,  composed  for  the 
occasion  by  Mr.  S.  P.  Taylor,  was  sung;  also  an 
anthem,  said  to  have  been  one  hundred  years  old,  fur- 
nished by  Mr,  Phelps,  afterward  of  Hartford,  Conn. 
Rev,  J.  Soule  said  "the  singing  refreshed  him."f  It 
is  said  there  were  about  two  thousand  hearers,  and  the 
collections   amounted   to   six   hundred  dollars.     A  part 

the  first  love-feast  was  liekl  in  the  new  church.  They  ''had  a  great 
many  people  present,  but  not  very  lively,  owing  probably  to  the  nov- 
elty of  the  situation  in  a  new  house,  and  on  a  construction  so  entirely 
different  from  wliat  they  had  been  used  to." — MS.  Journal  of  Rev. 
D.  Ostrander. 

*  These  sermons  were  printed.  Dr.  Bangs  treats  his  subject  imder 
three  heads:  1.  "What  the  Lord  hath  done  for  that  branch  of  his 
Church  called  Methodists.  2.  Ey  what  means  he  liatli  done  it.  3.  What 
is  necessary  for  us  to  do,  that  he  may  continue  to  work  among  us. 
In  liis  first  division  he  gives  a  sketch  of  the  liistory  of  Metliodism, 
the  second  is  principally  a  vindication  of  Methodist  polity,  and  the  third 
a  brief  appeal  to  walk  in  the  old  paths.  Mr.  Merwm  spoke  of,  1.  Tlie 
foundation,  Christ,  solid,  durable,  and  immutable.  2.  The  super- 
structure, the  Church,  in  which  he  sketclies  the  history  of  Chris- 
tianity down  to  the  origin  of  Methodism.  3.  Its  safety  ;  it  has  been 
preserved  and  will  be.  (It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  Mr.  Merwin's 
discourse  occupies  about  one  half  the  space  of  tlie  others.  Those 
wlio  remember  him  will  perceive  how  characterictic  this  is.)  Joshua 
Soule  gives  first  a  view  of  the  divine  character,  and,  second,  the  nature 
of  spiritual  worsliip. 

■I-  MSS.  of  Daniel  Ayres. 


The  Old  Gar^^er  Gives  Place  to  a  New  Oxe.  205 

of  the  old  material  was  incorporated  in  the  walls  of  the 
new  building,  but  the  timbers  were  used  in  the  erection 
of  an  edifice  at  Bowery  Village,  which  was  afterward 
removed  to  Yorkville  (86th  Street),  where  it  Avas  occu- 
pied by  the  Society-  now  worshiping  in  the  Park  Avenue 
Church. 

This  second  John  Street  Church  was  62  by  87  feet, 
and  cost  about  |30,000.  The  material  was  stone  cov- 
ered with  light-colored  stucco.  The  engraving  opposite, 
will  show  its  appearance.  The  center  door  gave  en- 
trance to  the  galler}^  stairs,  only  the  side  doors  com- 
municating directly  with  the  ground  floor  of  the  au- 
dience-room. The  pulpit  was  between  the  doors — 
an  arrangement  very  much  in  favor  at  the  time,  as  it 
gave  better  facility  for  a  sloping  floor,  ascending  to  the 
rear  of  tlie  building  and  bringing  speaker  and  hearers  in 
better  relation  to  each  other.  The  walls  and  the  wood- 
work in  front  of  the  galleries  and  about  the  pulpit  were 
white,  as  also  the  pulpit  itself.  The  book -board  and  altar 
were  mahogany  ;  they  are  in  the  lecture-room  of  the 
present  building.  The  wainscot  and  the  pews  were 
green  with  mahogany-colored  trimmings.  The  pulpit 
had  an  elliptical  front,  and  was  paneled.  It  rested  on 
eight  fluted  Ionic  columns,  leaving  an  open  space  be- 
neath, and  was  entered  on  either  side  by  six  steps. 
Against  the  wall  back  of  the  pul]>it  were  two  pilasters 
which  su|)ported  a  neat  frieze  and  cornice  running 
nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  altar  and  agreeing  with 
the  front  of  the  gallery.  The  corners  of  the  walls  and 
gallery  wore  circulai'.  In  each  corner  below  were 
niches  for  stoves,  which  rested  on  marble  slabs.  There 
were  ventilators  in  the  ceiling,  covered  with  green 
blinds.  The  gallery  went  nil  around  the  building;  that 
in  the  rear  of  the  pulpit  was  small,  but  that  in  front 
was  very  deep,  for  the  use  of  the  choir  and  Sunday- 


206  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

school.  In  the  rear  of  this  last  a  double  flight  of  stairs 
ran  about  half-way  up  to  the  ceiling,  uniting  there  and 
giving  access  to  the  loft  above.  When  the  building  was 
crowded  these  stairs  wei"e  often  filled  with  hearers,  and 
some,  indeed,  it  is  said,  ascended  to  the  loft  and  listened 
through  the  ventilators.  In  the  basement  w^ere  a  lect- 
ure-room and  class-rooms,  and  a  pump  supplying  excel- 
lent water.  On  a  tablet  over  the  center  door  in  front, 
in  gilt  letters,  on  a  black  ground,  was  the  inscription: 

This  Church, 

The  first  erected  by  tlie 

Methodist  Society  in  America, 

"Was  built  1768.     Rebuilt  ]  8 17. 

According  to  this  time  it  shall  be  said.  What  liath 

God  wrought?     Num.  xxiii,  23. 

It  was,  in  short,  a  beautiful  though  simple  building, 
well  adapted  to  its  purpose;  easy  for  speaker  :ind  hear- 
ers. Its  chief  defect  was  that  the  basement  was  too 
much  below  the  street.* 

On  March  23,  1818,  the  trustees  reported  that  their 
debt  on  the  six  churches  amounted  to  $17,000.  f  This 
was  about  fifty  years  from  the  building  of  the  first 
church. 

*G.  P.  Disosway,  in  Christ 'an  Advocate,  vol.  vii,  p.  93. 
■j- Manuscript  journal  of  Rev.  D.  Ostrander. 


Clouds  and  Sunshine.  207 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

CLOUDS  AND  SUXSHINE— CONFERENCES  OF  1818  TO  1820. 

The  Conference  of  1818,  Bisliop  George  presiding, 
met  in  the  Forsyth  Street  Church,  New  York,  on  May 
14.*     The  report  of  memhers   was   2,195   wliites,  963 

*  During  this  session,  on  May  18,  1818,  the  New  York  Confer- 
ence adopted  a  constitution  for  the  Wesleyan  Seminary  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  and  in  April,  1819,  it  w;is  incorporated.  But  it  seems 
to  have  been  unfortunate  from  its  birtii,  and  did  not  live  much 
more  than  ten  years.  For  a  time  it  occupied  a  hired  biiilding  on  the 
corner  of  Pump  and  Eldridge  Streets,  and  several  sites  were  under 
consideration,  but  were  rejected,  generally  because  of  defective  title. 
At  last  Mr.  Geo.  Lorillard  (Minutes,  April  13,  1820)  offered  to  lease 
two  lots  in  Crosby  Street,  between  Howard  and  Grand  Streets,  at  an 
annual  rent  of  $1 60.  This  offer  was  accepted,  and  a  building  of  brick 
was  erected,  40  by  65  feet,  which  cost  about  $5,000  (Minutes,  June  26, 
1820).  But  the  first  male  principal  proved  himself  unworthy;  the 
first  female  principal  left  the  Methodists  and  joined  the  Swedenbor- 
gians,  and  several  collectors  proved  unreliable.  It  is  not  improbable, 
also,  that  tlie  secession  of  1820  had  an  unfavorable  effect.  When  it 
became  evident  that  the  building  must  be  sold,  the  New  York  High 
School  (which  was  then  about  beginning,  and  which  afterward  occu- 
pied a  building  in  the  same  street  on  the  block  above)  made  proposals, 
first  to  rent,  and  then  to  buy  it.  It  was  finally  sold,  however,  to  the 
book  agents  for  $7,000  (Minutes,  February  28,  1825).  A  lot  in  Mott 
Street  (No.  157),  between  Grand  and  Broome,  was  then  bought  for 
$1,600,  and  a  building  begun  which  cost  nearly  $2,000.  This  was 
43  by  24  feet,  and  two  stories  high  (Minutes  of  March  1 6,  1 825,  and  May 
1, 1826).  But  still  the  sciiool  did  not  prosper,  and  June  17,  1828,  it  was 
resolved  to  sell  the  property.  It  brought  $2,975  (Minutes  of  February 
23,  1829),  and  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  board  of  trustees,  March  26, 
1832,  it  was  resolved  to  deposit  the  funds  that  remained  (amount  not 
stated)  with  the  trustees  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Cluirch  in  the 


208  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

colored;  total,  3,158— an  increase  of  305.  The  preach- 
ers were  N.  Bangs,  L.  Clark,  S.  Crowell,  S.  Howe,  and 
T.  Thorp.*  S.  Merwin  continued  as  presiding  elder 
and  Soule  and  Mason  as  book  agents. 

Thos.  Thorp  is  the  only  new  name  in  this  list.  He 
was  born  in  New  Brunswick,  in  1792,  converted  at  the 
age  of  sixteen,  licensed  in  1811,  and  admitted  on  trial 
at  the  Conlerence  of  1812.  He  had  labored  in  New  En- 
gland and  New  York  State,  and  was  in  feeble  health 
when  appointed  to  the  city.  He  finished  his  course 
January  17,  1819.  Tradition  testifies  that  he  was  an 
able  and  useful  man. 

Some  opposition  having  arisen  among  the  preachers 
to  the  action  of  certain  Sunday-schools,  at  a  leaders' 
meeting  held  January  11,  1819,  Rev.  S.  Crowell  offered 
the  following  resolutions: 

"  1.  Resolved,  That  this  leaders'  meeting  consider 
that  it  is  very  improper  for  Sunday-school  instructors 
to  teach  children  on  the  Lord's  day  that  attend  regular 
schools  all  the  week. 

"  2.  That  we  disapprove  of  teaching  at  all  in  time  of 
divine  service  in  our  churches." 

After  considerable  debate  the  meeting  adjourned  with- 
out voting  on  them.     The  secretary  adds  that  after  the 

city  to  be  used  for  the  benefit  of  the  Church,  unless  the  seminary 
sliould  again  require  them.  The  Wiiite  Plains  Academy  had  begun 
not  long  before,  and  was  under  tiie  charge  of  Rev.  J.  M.  Smith,  for 
some  time  the  very  successful  principal  of  the  New  York  institution, 
and  this,  l)y  supplying  to  some  extent  the  wants  of  New  York  Meth- 
odists in  this  regard,  had  probably  hastened  the  downfall  of  the  city 
school.  The  minutes  of  this  institution  nearly  fill  a  small  quarto 
book,  and,  though  unsatisfactory  as  to  the  object  sought,  are  very 
satisfactory  to  the  historian,  in  that  they  give  all  the  important  facts 
from  beginning  to  end. 

*  Their  residences  were,  Bangs,  216  Duane  Street;  Clark,  Allen, 
near  Rivington;  Crowell,  12  Forsyth;  Thorp,  Delancey,  near  Orc'.iard. 


Clouds  and  Sunshine.  209 

meeting  tlie  preachers  and  superintendents  made  such 
arrangements  as  to  do  away  all  uneasiness,  and  the 
resolutions  were  not  revived.* 

The  New  York  Conference  for  1819  met  at  Troy,  on 
May  G,  Bishop  George  presiding.  The  report  of  mem- 
bers at  first  sight  shows  a  decided  decrease  in  the  city. 
It  was  2,339  whites  and  50  colored;  total,  2,389 — a  de- 
crease of  769.  But  we  have  just  below  it  a  report  from 
"  Zion  and  Asbury,  Y91  colored."  These  were  two  soci- 
eties of  colored  people  in  the  city,  which  in  1818  became 
a  separate  chai'ge  under  the  care  of  W.  Phoebus.  Tlie 
proper  figures,  therefore,  are,  2,339  whites  and  841  col- 
ored; tot:il,  3,180 — an  increase  of  22.  The  name  of 
William  M.  Stihvell,  the  pastor  appointed  to  these  Afri- 
can churches  at  this  Conference,  became  more  promi- 
nent soon,  and  will  be  noticed  hereafter. 

The  appointments  for  1819  were,  A.  Hunt,  S.  Merwin, 
L.  Clark,  B.  Ilibbard,  T.  Spicer,  N.  Morris.  N.  Bangs 
was  presiding  elder,  and  F.  Garrettson's  name  follows 
his  as  supernumerary,  and  W.  Phoebus  missionary. 
J.  Soule  and  T.  Mason  continue  as  book  agents,  f 

*Bo()k  viii,  in  loco.  Some  explanation,  however,  is  necessary  in  re- 
gard to  these  resolutions.  At  that  time  Sunday-schools  were  re- 
garded rather  as  charity-schools,  and  their  principal  work  was  sup- 
posed to  be  to  furnish  education  for  those  who  could  not  obtain  it  on 
week-days.  Such  was  the  design  oF  Robert  Raikes  in  instituting 
them,  and  it  is  only  since  the  early  part  of  the  present  century  that 
thej^  have  fully  assumed  their  present  character.  As  to  the  second 
resolution,  some  of  the  schools  held  in  buildings  not  connected  with 
the  clnu-clies,  though  they  took  the  children  to  public  worship  in  the 
forenoon,  were  disposed  to  continue  their  afternoon  sessions  during 
the  hours  of  service.  This  practice  did  not  cease  until  some  years 
after.     The  debt  at  this  time  was  $27,438  27. 

f  The  residences  are.  Hunt,  12  Forsyth  Street;  Merwin,  216  Duane; 
Clark,  Allen,  near  Rivington ;  Hibbard,  First  Street,  near  Second 
Avenue ;  Spicer,  22  Nassau,  and  Morris,  who  is  called  in  the  directory 
a  teacher,  is  located  at  38  Pump  (now  New  Canal)  Street,  and  at 


210  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

B,  Hibbarcl  is  one  of  the  new  names  in  the  list  for 
this  year.  What  does  the  B.  stand  for?  is  a  question 
naturally  suggested;  and  the  uninitiated  will  fail  in  find- 
ing a  correct  answer.  Not  Benjamin,  nor  Bai-nahas, 
nor  Bartholomew,  nor  Bezaleel,  nor  any  other  of  the 
ordinary  swarm  of  B's  which  buzz  arouJid,  but  simply 
Billy.  Once,  when  the  secretary,  in  calling  the  roll  of 
the  Conference,  gave  his  name  as  William,  he  rose  and 
objected  to  answering,  insisting  that  his  name  was 
"  Billy."  "  Why,  Brother  Hibbard,"  said  Bishop  As- 
bury,  "  Billy  is  a  little  boy's  name."  "  Yes,  bishop,"  he 
replied,  "  and  I  was  a  little  boy  when  my  father  gave 
it  to  me."  *  This  incident,  as  well  as  the  name  itself,  is 
characteristic  of  the  man.  Anecdotes  of  his  wit  and 
readiness  at  repartee  are  plentiful,  and  were  a  constant 
source  of  amusement  to  preachers  and  laymen  of  former 
days.  But,  though  his  sermons  frequently  provoked 
smiles,  they  perhaps  as  often  drew  tears  and  melted 
the  heart. f  "  He  was  a  devout  man  and  had  his  heart 
earnestly  set  upon  the  promotion  of  the  great  interests 
of  Christ's  kingdom."  |  He  was  born  in  Norwich, 
Conn.,  February  24,  1771,  entered  the  itinerancy  in 
1798,  and  spent  more  than  twenty-five  years  in  active 
service.  He  died  August  17,  1844.  His  son,  F.  G.  Hib- 
bard, D.D.,  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Genesee 
Conference. 

Strikingly  in  contrast  with  him  in  many  respects  was 
Tobias  Spicer.  While  in  Hibbard  humor  predominated, 
tempered  with  gravity,  in  Spicer  the  gravity  had  so 

the  Collect  (now  Center  Street)  near  Franklin.  Wm.  Phoebus  was  at 
7  Forsyth  Street;  N.  Bangs,  69  Crosby  Street;  J.  Soule,  70  Allen 
Street,  and  T.  Mason,  88  Chrystie  Street.  Garrettson's  home  was  at 
Rhinebeck. 

*  Rev.  F.  G.  Hibbard  in  Sprague's  Annals,  p.  305. 

f  Ibid.  t  L-  Clark,  Ibid.,  p.  303. 


Clouds  and  Sunshine.  211 

much  the  upper  hand  that  humor,  though  present,  was 
not  often  exhibited.  T.  Spicer  was  born  in  Kinder- 
hook,  N.  Y.,  November  V,  1788,  converted  in  1803,  and 
received  on  trial  in  1810.  He  served  the  Church  ef- 
fectively for  more  than  thirty  years,  occupying  prom- 
inent positions,  and  for  eight  years  that  of  presiding 
elder.  Six  times  he  was  a  delegate  to  General  Confer- 
ence. He  was  a  man  of  much  ability,  very  faithful,  and 
very  successful.  Though  grave  in  aspect  and  manner, 
the  writer  can  testify,  from  personal  experience,  that  he 
could  be  genial  and  pleasant.  He  died  November  18, 
1862,  in  strong  faith  and  great  peace.* 

Nicholas  Morris  had  served  one  year  at  Jamaica, 
L.  I.,  before  he  came  to  the  city.  In  1820  he  was  ap- 
pointed principal  of  the  Wesleyan  Seminary,  and  it 
seems  likely  that  his  appointment  this  year  was  to  that 
institution,  as  T.  Spicer,  in  his  Autobiography,  page  67, 
does  not  name  him  as  one  of  his  colleagues.  Perhaps, 
however,  Mr.  Spicer  thought  it  best  to  pass  over  in  si- 
lence the  name  of  one  who  was  expelled  in  1821. 

On  the  15th  of  March,  1820,  the  board  of  trustees 
consisted  of  James  Donaldson,  Abi-aham  Russel,  George 
Suckley,  George  Taylor,  Jr.,  Samuel  Stilwell,  Gilbert 
Coutant,  Michael  D.  Higgins,  John  Bartine,  and  Abra- 
ham Coddington.  f  Of  these  S.  Stilwell  and  A.  Cod- 
dington  had  just  been  elected  in  place  of  Paul  Hick  and 
John  P.  Morris,  whose  term  had  expired,  as  had  also 
that  of  James  Donaldson,  who  was  re-elected.  \  From 
the  minutes  of  the  board,  of  which  those  of  this  date 
are  the  first  that  have  come  down  to  us,  Ave  shall  learn 
a  number  of  interesting  facts.  Among  the  records  of 
this  meeting  we  find  the  appointment,  according  to 
their  usual  custom,  it  would  seem,  of  a  steward  for 

*  Minutes  of  1863.  f  Trustees'  Book,  opposite  p.  1. 

^:  Trustees'  Miuutes  of  March  15,  1820. 


212  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

each  church,  one  general  steward  of  the  class  collec- 
tions, stewards  of  section  class  collections,  and  steward 
of  the  poor  fund,  and  school  treasurer.  This  last  ap- 
pointment needs  no  explanation,  except  that  the  school 
treasurer  had  charge  of  the  funds  for  the  support  of  a 
charity  or  free  school,  which  was  carried  on  in  Forsyth 
Street,  nearly  opposite  the  church.  The  other  offices 
call  for  some  remark,  especially  needful  in  view  of 
events  about  to  be  related.  The  steward  for  each 
church  was  a  member  of  the  board,  who  was  expected 
to  attend  at  the  church  to  Avhich  he  was  assigned,  re- 
.ceivethe  plate  collections,  and  keep  a  general  oversight 
of  its  affairs.  The  stewards  of  the  section  class  collec- 
tions received  those  collections  from  the  leaders  in 
their  sections,  and  paid  them  to  the  general  steward  of 
the  class  collections,  whose  business  it  was  to  jiay  the 
preachers.  These  entries  and  the  fourth  resolution  in 
the  paper  presented  in  the  leaders'  meeting  September 
8,  181.3,  and  the  answer  to  it,*  will  illustrate  each  other, 
and  show  how  completely  at  that  time  the  trustees  con- 
trolled all  the  finances  of  the  Church. 

The  debt  at  this  time  was  $32,558  53, having  increased 
rather  more  than  8-5,100  during  the  preceding  year.f 

Nothing  of  interest  is  i)ieserved  in  regard  to  this 
year  except  Avhat  relates  to  the  schism  then  rapidly 
coming  to  maturity,  and  to  be  related  hereafter.  Con- 
ference met  at  Forsyth  Street,  New  York,  June  1,  1820, 
Bishop  Geoi-ge  in  the  chair.  J     The  report  was,  whites, 

*  See  p.  196,  etc. 

j-  Trustees'  Minutes  of  April  4,  1820. 

:j:  Bishop  George  met  tiie  New  York  Conference  eight  years  in  suc- 
cession— from  1818  to  1825  inclusive.  In  1826  Bishop  McKendree 
presided,  and  then  for  two  j-ears  Bishop  George  again,  ten  years  out 
of  eleven.  (See  New  York  Conference  Minutes.)  The  plan  of  alter- 
DMting,  by  which  no  bisliop  mee's  the  same  Conference  two  years  in 
succession,  did  not  seem  to  be  then  observed. 


Clouds  and  Sunshine.  213 

2,440 — an  increase  of  101;  colored,  88 — an  increase  of 
38;  Zion  and  Asbury,  690— a  decrease  of  101;  total 
3^216 — a  net  increase  of  38.  The  preachers  were,  A. 
Hunt,  J.  Soule,  B.  Hibbard,  T.  Spicer,  and  E.  Hebard. 
W.  M.  Stilwell  was  re-appointed  to  Zion  and  Asbury, 
and  P.  P.  Sandford  was  the  elder.* 

Those  familiar  with  the  history  of  American  Method- 
ism need  not  be  told  that  the  name  of  Joshua  Soule 
occupies  a  prominent  place  therein.  Born  in  Bristol, 
Hancock  County,  Me.,  August  1,  1781,  he  was  con- 
verted in  1797,  and  in  1799  began  his  ministerial  work- 
in  the  seventh  year  of  his  service  he  was  made  presid- 
ing elder,  which  office  he  filled  nearly  all  the  time  until 
his  election  as  book  agent  in  1816.  He  did  good 
service  in  that  position,  and  as  editor  of  the  earlier 
volumes  of  the  Methodist  Macjazine.  His  two  years  in 
New  York  were  followed  by  two  in  Baltimore,  and  in 
1824  he  was  elected  bishop.  After  the  division  of  the 
Church  in  lS4t  he  went  with  the  southern  section,  and 
died  near  Nashville,  Tenn.,  March  6,  1867.  "He  was 
erect  and  slender  in  person,  and  dignified  in  bearing. 
His  discourses  showed  more  breadth  than  depth,  but 
were  often  overwhelmingly  impressive.  The  dignity 
of  his  bearing,  frequently  verging  on  majesty  itself, 
gave  to  his  sermons  at  times  ati  imposing  solemnity, 
but  on  occasions  less  congruous  with  it  had  the  disad- 
vantage of  appearing,  to  the  fastidious  at  least,  pompous 
and  repulsive."  f  The  simple,  natural  dignity  of  his 
colleague,  Elijah  Hedding,  elected  to  the  episcopacy  at 
the  same  time,  was  made  more  vivid  by  the  contrast ; 
and  when,  twenty  years  after,  one  Avent  with  the  South 

*  Hunt  and  Hibbard  ;ind  Spicer  occupied  the  same  houses  as  they 
did  tlie  year  before.  Soule  resided  in  Allen,  near  Stanton  Street. 
Ilebard's  address  is  not  found,  but  it  was  probably  at  Duano  S'reet. 

f  Stevens's  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  C/mrch,  vol.  iv,  p.  48. 


214  A  History  of  Methodism  in  Neav  York  City. 

and  the  other  stood  firm  with  the  North,  the  old  Church 
felt  that  her  loss  in  parting  with  Soule  was  fully  bal- 
anced by  the  faithful  adherence  of  Hedding. 

Elijah  Ilebard  was  born  in  Coxsackie,  N.  Y.,  Septem- 
ber 8,  1788,  converted  when  thirteen  years  of  age,  and 
joined  the  New  York  Conference  in  1811.  In  1834  he 
was  transferred  to  the  Genesee  Conference,  and  in  1846 
became  superannuated,  and  died  in  Geneva,  Ontario 
County,  N.  Y.,  January  25,  1858.  He  "was  character- 
ized for  his  simplicity,  frankness,  honesty,  and  sound 
sense."  * 

At  some  period  during  the  two  years  of  T.  Spicer's 
term,  most  probably  the  last,  there  was  "  a  gracious  re- 
vival in  the  vicinity  of  John  Street  Church."  f 

*  General  Minutes,  1858.  f  Spicer's  Autobiogra2)hy,  p.  71. 


Tares  Springing  Up.  215 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

TARES  SPRINGING  UP— THE  STILWELLITE  SECESSION. 

The  report  at  the  Conference  of  1821  showed  a 
sad  decrease.  It  reads,  2,094  whites  and  61  colored — 
a  total  of  2,155;  1,063  less  than  the  year  before.  Of 
this  loss,  however,  690  is  due  to  the  setting  off  of  the 
colored  churches,  Zion  and  Asbuiy,  into  an  organization 
of  their  own  ;  but  there  was,  besides,  a  falling  off  of 
373.  This  was  owing  to  the  Stilwellite  secession,  which 
took  place  during  this  year,  but  which  had  its  origin  in 
causes  which  can  be  traced  back  to  the  earliest  times 
of  Kew  York  Methodism.  It  was  the  most  considera- 
ble division  that  ever  occurred  in  the  Church  in  New 
York  city  and  its  vicinit}",  and  will  be  described  as  im- 
partially and  completely  as  possible. 

John  Street  Church  was  founded  as  an  independent 
society,  and  its  government  continued  to  be  congrega- 
tional in  respect  to  its  temporalities  until  near  the  close 
of  the  century,  and  some  traces  of  its  original  character 
continued  for  many  years  longer.  Mr.  Asbiiry's  attach- 
ment to  and  zeal  for  Mr.  Wesley's  methods  were  not  a 
little  disturbed  by  the  self-assertion  of  the  trustees  as 
the  chosen  representatives  of  the  membership.  Their 
finances  were  not  managed  as  he  wished.  In  his  Jour- 
nal of  Friday,  September  11,  1772,  he  wrote  :  "I  met 
the  people  in  the  morning  to  discourse  with  them 
about  their  temporal  matters,  and  appointed  Mr.  C. 
(Chave)  to  take  an  account  of  the  weekly  and  quar- 
terly collections.  But  the  other  two  stewards  refused 
15 


21G  A  HisTOKY  OF  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

an  exact  entry  of  the  money  that  is  not  settled."  The 
"  Okl  Book  "  of  accounts  contains  entries  of  receipts 
and  expenditures  for  all  kinds  of  church  expenses, 
mingled  together.  There  are  payments  for  interest  on 
the  society's  debts,  and  for  the  preachers'  board  and  cloth- 
ing, for  beds  and  bedding  for  the  dwelling-house,  for 
lamps  and  oil  for  the  church,  for  sexton's  wages,  and 
the  traveling  expenses  of  the  preachers.  On  the  other 
hand,  receipts  from  public  collections  and  from  class 
collections  follow  each  other  without  discrimination. 
This  order  of  things  continued  until  nearly  1820,  at 
Avhich  date  there  were  in  the  city  six  congregations, 
with  each  its  house  of  worship,  all  held  and  managed, 
as  to  their  finances,  by  one  board  of  trustees,*  Avho  were 
incorporated  by  the  laws  of  the  State. 

Tliis  state  of  things  was  the  occasion  of  no  little  fric- 
tion, and  efforts  were  made  from  time  to  time  to  secure 
a  more  satisfactory  arrangement.  At  a  general  leaders' 
meeting  (at  which  the  trustees  seem  to  have  been  pres- 
ent) held  at  the  Bowery  (Forsyth  Street)  Church,  Oc- 
tober 13,  1813,  a  paper  was  read  f  containing  a  series 
of  questions,  one  of  which  was,  "  (4.)  Whose  duty  is  it, 
agreeable  to  our  Discipline  and  the  laws  of  this  State, 
to  pay  the  salaries  and  provide  for  the  maintenance  and 
support  of  our  stationed  ministers  and  their  respective 
families?"  To  this  it  was  answered:  "  The  Discipline 
directs  that  the  stewards  on  circuits  shall  pay  the 
preachers.  But  this  being  a  station,  and  an  incorpo- 
rated bod}^  tliat  rule  does  not  apply  to  us,  and  the  law 
of  the  State  makes  it  the  duty  of  the  trustees  to  pay 
the  salaries  and  provide  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
preachers."     This  answer  was  declared  to  be  satisfac- 

*Tliis  board,  though  elecled  by  the  joint  vote  of  all  tlie  members, 
bad  one  or  more  representatives  from  each  congregation, 
f  Given  in  full  on  pp.  1 95,  196. 


Tares  Springing  Up.  217 

tory  by  the  meeting  without  dissent.*  Six  years  later, 
at  the  beginning  of  Rev.  Aaron  Hunt's  second  term 
of  service  in  the  city  (1819),  he  says:  "One  body  of 
trustees  transacted  all  the  financial  business  of  the 
societies,  receiving  the  class  collections  from  the  leaders 
and  distributing  the  same  to  pay  the  preachers."  f 
During  his  administration  as  senior  preacher,  and  while 
the  Stilwellite  movement  was  in  progress,  as  will  be  seen 
in  the  sequel,  a  board  of  stewards  was  set  in  operation 
for  the  whole  city,  which  continued  in  existence  down 
to  1832,  wlien  the  division  into  two  circuits  made  two 
boards  necessary.  J  Another  statement  is  found  in  the 
autobiography  of  Rev.  T.  Spicer,  page  67.  He  says  the 
scliism  "  was  occasioned  chiefly  by  the  appointment  of 
a  board  of  stewards.  Before  this  the  board  of  trustees 
had  taken  charge  of  all  moneys  collected  in  tlie  con- 
gregation ;  and  if  the  amount  was  not  suflicient  to  pay 
the  salaries  of  the  preachers  and  the  current  expenses 
of  the  Church  they  would  obtain  a  loan,  and  thus  in- 
crease the  Church  debt.  In  this  way  matters  had  gone 
on  until  the  Church  had  become  burdened  with  an 
enormous  debt,  which  was  constantly  accumulating." 
*'  It  was,  therefore,  thought  best  to  appoint  stewards, 
according  to  Discipline,  to  take  the  class  collections  and 
pay  the  preachers'  support,  and  let  the  trustees  have 
charge  only  of  such  property  as  belonged  to  the  Church. 
But  this  arrangement,  although  in  perfect  accordance 
with  our  Discipline,  met  with  strong  opposition  from 

*  Minutes  of  the  General  Leaders'  Meeting  from  May  8,  1811,  to 
February- — ,  1823.  See  also  the  statement  of  Rev.  E.  Wasliburn, 
p.  201. 

\  Papers  of  Rev.  A.  Hunt  in  hands  of  Rev.  A.  S.  Hunt,  D.D. 

f  The  property  continued  to  be  lield,  however,  by  one  board  of 
trustees  until  1835,  except  the  "Wesleyan  Chapels  in  Vestry  and  Mul- 
berry Streets  (now  the  Central  and  Saint  Paul's  Churches),  which  were 
never  included  in  the  general  corporation. 


218  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

several  (a  minority,  it  seems)  of  the  trustees.  They 
conteiKled  that  the  laws  of  the  State  required  trustees 
to  have  charge  of  all  church  jDroperty,  and  therefore 
they  must  receive  the  class  collections  and  disburse  them. 
But  the  others  contended  that  the  class  collections  were 
not  church  property,  but  the  jiroperty  of  the  ministers, 
raised  especially  for  them,  and  therefore  the  trustees 
had  nothing  to  do  with  them."  "  After  a  long  discus- 
sion the  Quarterly  Conference  "  (then  including  all  the 
Churches)  "  decided  "  by  an  overwhelming  majority  "  in 
favor  of  a  board  of  stewards  being  appointed." 

"  In  the  course  of  this  discussion  it  was  remarked  " 
"  that  the  general  laAV  under  which  the  various  religious 
societies  were  incorporated  was  not  exactly  suited  to 
our  economy,  and  therefore  it  might  be  well  to  apply 
to  the  Legislature  for  a  law  which  would  recognize  our 
]>eculiar  economy.  This  remark  was  immediateh'  seized 
on  by  some,  and  they  set  about  making  their  bretliren 
believe  that  the  preachers  were  going  to  take  measures 
to  get  all  church  property  into  their  possession  and 
under  their  entire  control,  and  that  ultimately  they 
would  take  all  the  churches  and  parsonages  away  from 
the  people  and  convert  them  to  their  own  use.  These 
strange  and  unfounded  insinuations  produced  consider- 
able influence  on  many  persons."* 

This  concentration  of  the  governing  power,  and  es- 
pecially of  the  administration  of  the  finances  of  so  many 
distinct  congregations  in  a  single  board,  while  it  may 
have  had  its  advantages,  was  very  liable  to  be  misused, 
and  was  sure  to  occasion  not  only  lack  of  interest,  but 
also  distrust  and  ill-feeling.  The  receipts  and  expendi- 
tures of  each  of  the  several  local  churches  could  not  fail 

♦This  extract,  though  agreeing  substanliully  with  what  is  written 
above,  gives  a  view  of  the  matter  under  a  little  different  light,  and, 
therefore,  is  worthy  of  preservation. 


Tares  Springing  Up.  219 

to  be  criticised  by  the  others.  John  Street  Church 
naturally  claimed  a  kind  of  maternal  pre-eminence, 
which  her  younger  sisters  were  not  always  inclined  to 
concede.  All  extraordinary  expenses,  either  for  new 
buildings  or  repairs,  had  to  be  paid  from  the  common 
treasury,  and  the  several  churches  were  not  disposed  to 
contribute  liberally  for  objects  in  which  they  had  no 
direct  interest. 

It  was  not,  therefore,  surprising  that  there  was  stren- 
uous opposition  to  the  rebuilding  of  John  Street  Church. 
It  was  objected  that  there  was  already'  a  heavy  debt, 
which  had  increased  during  the  preceding  year  more 
than  $600,  and  that  a  suit  in  chancery,  then  pending, 
was  likely  to  add  to  tlieir  embarrassment,  and  that  the 
quarterly  and  class  collections  had  fallen  considerably 
short  of  paying  the  expenses  of  the  preachers.  For 
these  reasons  the  up-town  party  objected  to  rebuilding. 

But,  as  Ave  have  seen,  the  trustees  decided  to  rebuild. 
That  the  new  house  should  be  superior  to  any  of  the 
others  and  better  furnished  was  to  be  expected  ;  but  its 
attractive  appearance  and  carpeted  altar  (then  not  com- 
mon) seemed  to  the  good  brethren  up-town  a  serious 
departure  from  the  primitive  simplicity  of  Methodism.* 
The  fact,  also,  that  this  was  done,  in  part  at  least,  with 
funds  which  were  common  j^roperty  added  greatly  to 
the  warmth  of  the  objectors.  The  breach  between  up- 
town and  down-town  became  wider. 

*  This  statement,  fouuded  on  the  writer's  own  recollection  of  the 
talk  of  old  people  that  the  Stilwellites  left  partly  because  John  Street 
Church  was  too  fine  and  because  it  had  a  carpet  on  the  altar,  is  cor- 
roborated by  a  passage  in  a  letter  from  Mrs.  Bishop  Clark.  She  says : 
"We  have  a  tree  of  Methodism.  The  tiny  branch  representing  the 
Stilwellites  has  the  record,  'Organized  by  Wm.  Stilwell  in  1817,  in 
New  York;  cause,  the  difference  of  opinion  in  regard  to  the  furnish- 
ing of  the  old  John  Street  Church.'  "  Tiie  date  (1817)  is,  however,  an 
error.     See  also  Life  of  Nathan  Bangs,  D.D.,  p.  225. 


220  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Just  at  this  time,  unfortunately,  as  it  seems  to  us  now, 
certain  measures  were  inaugurated  by  the  General  Con- 
ference and  followed  up  by  the  action  of  the  New  York 
Annual  Conference  which  added  to  the  excitement.  It 
is  not  necessary  to  attempt  to  refute  the  old  outcry, 
"  The  churches  are  deeded  to  the  Conference  ;  "  there 
has  been  far  more  need  to  quiet  the  anxieties  of  those 
who  feared  that  their  houses  of  worship  might  be  taken 
from  them  b}^  treacherous  trustees  or  seceding  major- 
ities.* To  prevent  such  disasters  the  General  Confer- 
ence passed  the  following  resolution  :  "That  in  future 
we  will  admit  no  charter,  deed,  or  conveyance  for  any 
house  of  worship  to  be  used  by  us  unless  it  be  provided 
in  such  charter,  deed,  or  conveyance  that  the  trustees  of 
said  house  shall  at  all  times  permit  such  ministers  and 
preachers  belonging  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
as  sh.dl  from  time  to  time  be  duly  authorized  by  tha 
General  Conference  of  said  Church,  or  by  the  Annual 
Conference,  to  preach  and  expound  God's  holy  word  and 
to  execute  the  rules  and  Discipline  of  the  Church,  and  to 
administer  the  sacraments  therein,  according  to  the  true 
meaning  and  purport  of  our  deed  of  settlement. f  Ac- 
cordingh^  the  New  York  Conference,  at  its  session  of 
1820,  appointed  a  committee  of  five  "to  prepare  a 
memorial  to  the  Legislature  of  this  State  j)raying  for  a 
specific  act  of  incorporation  for  our  Church  throughout 
the  State  in  conformity  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of 
our  Discipline.  This  committee  was  to  supply  the  pre- 
siding elders  with  printed  copies  of  the  memorial,  and 
they  were  to  furnish  each  preacher  M'ith  a  copy,  that  all 
the  members  might  be  asked  to  subscribe.  J 

*  Thisanxiet}',  however,  has  decreased,  for  it  is  beheved  that  where 
the  biiildin.u:  is  evidently  intended  to  be  a  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
the  propertj"  can  be  held  only  for  such  purpose. 

f  Bangrs's  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  iii,  p.  140. 

\  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  viii,  p.  123. 


Tares  Springing  Up.  221 

Nothing  in  all  this  warranted  the  outcry  of  the  dis- 
affected party  in  New  York;  indeed,  it  is  not  likely  that 
at  any  other  time  it  would  have  excited  much  objection. 
Ill  an  address  "  to  the  raerahers  and  friends  of  the 
Methodist  E.  Church  in  New  York  "  it  is  very  truly  said, 
"  Considering  that  no  alteration  has  taken  place  with  re- 
spect to  the  charter  by  which  the  property  of  the  Church 
is  held,  and  that  no  change  can  take  place  till  it  is  fully 
and  specifically  before  the  ])eopie  for  their  examinntion 
and  api)roval;  and  considering,  further,  that  such  change 
or  alteration  must  be  made  by  a  wise  and  patriotic  Legis- 
lature, evertenaciousof  the  rights  and  prerogatives  of  the 
people,  we  must  submit  to  an  enlightened  community  to 
judge  what  ground  of  present  alarm  can  be  found  in 
the  act  either  of  the  General  or  Annual  Conference."  * 

But  the  objection  seems  to  have  been  not  so  much  to 
the  resolution  as  to  the  preamble  passed  by  the  New 
York  Conference.  This  preamble  (which  is  to  be  found 
in  the  Journal  of  the  New  York  Conference)  is  given  as 
italicized  by  the  objectors  that  we  may  see  on  what  por- 
tions especially  they  founded  their  objections.  It  reads, 
"That  in  order  to  obviate  the  difficulties  which  do  now, 
and  have  for  some  time  past,  existed  in  this  city  in  re- 
spect to  the  appointment  of  trustees,  it  is  both  expedient 
and  necessary  for  the  Conference  to  recommend  to  the 
people  of  their  charge  to  petition  the  Legislature  of  this 
State  at  its  next  session  for  an  act  of  incorporation  ichich 
shall  recognize  the  peculiarities  of  our  form  of  govern- 
ment, and  thereby  enable  us  more  fiUg  and  effectually 
to  execute  the  Discipline  of  our  Church."     "  Such  is  the 

*  Conclusion  of  a  paper  dated  August  11,  1820,  and  signed  by 
Enocli  George,  Freeborn  Garrellson,  Nathan  Bangs,  P.  P.  Sandford, 
Joshua  Soule,  Alexander  McCaino,  Thomas  Mason,  Aaron  Hunt,  B. 
Hibbard,  T.  Spicer,  E.  Hebard.  The  seven  preachers  wliose  names 
stand  first  were  members  of  the  General  Conference. —  Cltristian  Ad- 
vocate, vol.  viii,  p.  123. 


222  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

present  law  of  this  State  in  respect  to  the  incorporation 
of  religious  societies  that  the  trustees  of  our  Church, 
in  the  exercise  of  their  function,  either  cannot  or  vyill 
not  conform  to  the  requirements  of  our  Discipline."  * 
The  objectors  add,  "  Now  let  any  impartial  person 
read  the  above  and  say  whether  they  would  suppose  that 
trustees  were  to  be  elected  as  formerly  if  an  act  of  in- 
corporatio?i,  according  to  their  own  resolution,  should 
be  obtained."  f  Thus  the  note  of  alarm  was  raised  that 
the  preachers  were  seeking  to  gain  control  of  all  the 
property,  and  that  they  were  trying  to  have  the  churches 
deeded  to  the  Conferences. 

In  order  that  the  case  of  the  seceders  may  be  fully 
stated  a  few  more  sentences  will  be  quoted  from  their 
publications.  They  say:  "The  clergy  formed  a  Disci- 
pline without  consulting  the  laity,  and  took  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Church  upon  themselves,  which  they  retain 
to  this  day;  although  the  people  have  frequently  peti- 
tioned the  Conference  for  a  lay  representation  they  have 
not  yet  obtained  it;  and  from  recent  acts  of  the  Con- 
ferences it  will  appear  as  if,  instead  of  the  clergy  being 
willing  to  have  their  power  diminished,  they  wish  to 
have  it  increased."  ^  Again :  "  We  were  not  of  those 
who  reiterated  their  complaints  in  memorials  and  peti- 
tions to  the  General  Conference  without  effect  for  a  lay 
representation  in  that  body.  .  .  .  Nor  did  we  complain 
of  having  preachers  stationed  among  ns  without  our 
advice  or  consent,  nor  of  contributing  toward  their  sup- 
port, nor  of  supporting  presiding  elders,  whom  we  con- 
sider worse  than  useless,  until  those  preachers  pretended 
to  have  jurisdiction  over  the  temporal  as  yveW  as  spirit- 
ual concerns  of  the  Church,  and  to  act  accordingly.     But 

*  Historical  Sketches  of  the  Rise  and  Progress  of  the  Methodist  Society 
in  the  City  of  New  York,  pp.  37-38.     By  Samuel  Slihvell.     1821. 
f/Wd,  p.  38.  Xlhid.,^.\2. 


Tares  Spkinging  Up.  223 

we  first  began  to  remonstrate  against  the  procedure  of 
the  trustees  when,  with  a  heavy  debt  on  the  Church  and 
a  suit  in  cliancery  undetermined,  they  resolved  to  take 
down  the  ohl  meeting-house  in  John  Street  and  build  a 
new  one,  and  another  at  the  Bowery  Village.  We  ob- 
jected because  we  thought  the  commencement  prema- 
ture, and  because,  from  the  disposition  of  the  leading 
men  in  the  board  of  trustees  at  that  time,  we  were 
afraid  that  they  would  build  too  expensively,  and  the 
event  proved  that  our  fears  were  not  groundless.  .  .  . 
The  debt  was  increased  to  more  than  $30,000.  .  .  . 
When  the  term  expired  for  which  those  trustees  were 
elected,  who  were  considered  the  most  forward  in  un- 
necessary expenses,  other  persons  were  elected  in  their 
places,  who,  it  was  confidently  believed  and  expected, 
Avould  conduct  the  affairs  of  the  Church  with  better 
economy.  The  prudent,  plain  part  of  the  society  began 
to  think  of  devising  some  means  of  decreasing  the  ex- 
penses of  the  Church  and  instituting  a  sinking  fund  for 
paying  the  debt.  .  .  .  Tranquillity,  it  was  hoped,  was 
now  restored,  and  the  pi-o.spect  began  to  brighten  ;  but 
this  was  of  short  duration,  for  soon  those  who  had 
been  the  cause  of  increasing  the  debt  .  .  .  began  to  call 
select  meetings  for  the  purjjose,  it  was  said,  of  altering 
the  mode  of  nominating  and  electing  trustees.  The 
preacher  in  charge  and  others  were  very  active  in  en- 
couraging and  attending  these  meetings.  In  the  mean- 
time the  following  letter  was  written  (probably  by  Mr. 
Samuel  Stilwell,  the  author  of  tlie  sketches  from  which 
it  is  taken)  and  a<ldressed  to  a  person  who  had  been  ap- 
pointed a  member  of  a  committee  on  this  subj^'Ct."  *     It 

*  Historical  Sketches,  etc.,  pp.  14-16.  There  is  nothing  to  indicate  to 
whom  this  leiter  was  addressed  nor  l)y  whom  the  coniinittee  was  ap- 
pointed. Tiie  triistees'  minutes  give  no  Hght.  Mr.  Stilwell  was  at  that 
time  a  member  of  the  board,  having  been  elected  in  March  preceding. 


224  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  Yokk  City. 

is  dated  April  10,  1820  (before  the  session  of  the  Gen- 
eral Conference).  Only  one  sentence  can  be  given: 
"  The  trustees  have  recently  resolved  not  to  make  any 
farther  provision  for  the  preachers  after  the  rising  of 
the  Annual  Conference  in  June  next  tlian  that  which 
they  are  allowed  by  the  Discipline,  which  is  the  quar- 
terly collections  and  the  privilege  of  making  collections 
in  the  classes."  *  The  tone  of  this  statement  seems  to 
indicate  a  determination  on  the  part  of  the  trustees  to 
refuse  to  do  any  thing  thereafter  for  the  preachers;  but 
the  resolution  as  it  stands  in  the  trustees'  minutes 
sounds  rather  more  like  a  friendly  assent  to  the  disci- 
l^linary  plan  of  putting  the  support  of  the  preachers  in 
the  hands  of  the  stewards.  It  reads:  "Resolved, 
unanimously,  that  at  the  adjourning  of  the  Annual  Con- 
ference in  June  next  the  trustees  will  relinquish  the 
quarterly  and  class  collections  that  ma}'  be  made  after 
that  time  to  stewards  appointed  or  that  shall  be  np- 
])ointed  according  to  the  Discipline  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  to  take  charge  of  the  same,  and  pro- 
vide for  the  preachers  appointed  for  the  city  of  New 
York  according  to  the  Discipline  of  the  said  Church; 
and  that  fi-oin  that  time  the  trustees  will  relinquish  the 
charge  c»f  providing  for  the  preachers."! 

At  the  Conference  of  1819  Rev.  Aaron  Hunt  had 
been  appointed  to  New  York  as  preacher  in  charge. 
He  liad  served  in  the  city  some  thirteen  years  before, 
and  was  veiy  generally  held  in  high  estimation,  and  it 
was  hoped  lie  would  be  able  to  guide  affairs  safely. 
Even  the  malcontents  declared  their  purpose  to  pro- 
mote peace  and  harmony,  and  a  brighter  day  appeared 
to  be  dawning,     lint  when,  in  March,  1820,  an  election 

*  Hidorical  Sketches,  elc,  p.  22. 

\  Trustees'  minuets,  March  24,  1820.  Their  action,  however,  on 
June  30,  luis  a  different  tone.     See  p.  225,  nolo. 


Taeks  Spkinging  Up.  225 

for  trustees  was  held  and  the  candidates  of  the  up-town 
party  were  chosen,  the  down-town  brethren  proposed 
not  to  take  up  class  collections.  Mr.  Hunt  advised 
them  to  continue  their  regular  contributions,  depositing 
the  money  with  some  trusty  person  till  stewards  should 
be  appointed.  At  the  next  official  meeting  the  newly 
elected  stewards  were  present,  and  also  the  trustees. 
The  preacher  in  charge  read  the  Discipline  relating  to 
the  duties  of  stewards  and  trustees  severally,  and  di- 
rected the  stewards  to  be  seated  at  the  t;ible  to  receive 
the  money  from  the  leaders.  Some  of  the  leaders,  how- 
ever, refused  to  pay  their  money  to  the  stew^ards,  but 
lianded  it  to  a  trustee  seated  at  the  same  table.  The 
amount  paid  to  the  trustees  was  small,  and  they  offered 
to  pass  it  over,  to  the  stewards  provided  they  would 
give  them  (the  trustees)  a  receipt  for  the  whole  amount 
received.*  This  the  stewards  refused  to  do,  and  the 
preacher  again  called  attention  to  the  Discipline,  say- 
ing, "As  Methodists  this  is  our  rule."  A  leader  an- 
swered that  he  did  not  "care  what  the  Discipline  said; 
we  shall  act  according  to  the  laAV,"  referring  to  the  char- 
tered autliority  of  the  board  of  trustees.  Mr.  Hunt  re- 
plied by  demanding  the  class-book  of  the  leader,  add- 
ing, "  If  you  do  not  care  for  the  Discipline  you  are  not 
fit  to  be  a  leader." 

Soon  after  this  a  paper  was  sent  to  the  preacher 
signed  by  about  thirty  names,  some  of   them  those   of 

*  A.  Hunt's  papers,  in  the  liands  of  Rev.  A.  S.  Hunt,  D.D.  This 
seems  to  have  taken  place  on  or  after  June  30,  1820,  as  on  thai  date 
we  find  in  the  minutes  of  the  trustees  this  resohition:  "That  the 
trustees  will  receive  the  quarterly  and  class  collections  in  the  usual 
way  and  pay  the  same  to  the  preachers'  stewards  for  the  use  of  tlie 
preachers,  on  the  stewards  giving  a  receipt  for  the  amount  of  the 
sum  so  paid,  in  conformity  to  a  resolve  of  this  board  to  appropriate 
the  quarterly  and  class  collections  for  the  payment  and  support  of 
the  preachers."     This  resolution  was  rescinded  August  14. 


220  A  History  of  Methodism  in  Xew  York  City. 

trustees  and  leadei's,  requesting  certificates  of  with- 
drawal from  the  church.  This  request  was  declined  by- 
Mr,  Hunt,  who  earnestly  besought  tlie  applicants  to  re- 
consider the  subject,  but  told  them  tliat  if  they  per- 
sisted he  would,  though  not  immediately,  write  the  word 
"withdrawn"  opposite  their  names  on  the  church 
records.  Most  of  them  adhered  to  their  purpose,  and 
before  long  their  number  was  swelled  to  nearly  three 
hundred,  including  probationers.* 

The  most  considerable  man  among  the  seceders,  and, 
indeed,  the  leading  spirit  in  the  whole  movement,  was 
Samuel  Stilwell,  a  native  of  the  town  of  Jamaica,  Long 
Island,  born  October  22,  1703.  It  was  said  that  his  pa- 
ternal ancestor  who  first  came  to  this  country  was  a 
member  of  the  "  High  Court  of  Commission  "  which 
tried  and  condemned  King  Charles  the  First,  and  that  to 
avoid  arrest  he  changed  his  name  when  he  eraiwrated. 

*  Amonp:  other  incidents  connected  with  this  secession  tlie  preacher 

in  charge  learned  that  a  Brother  P (a  class-leader  in  Allen  Street) 

intended  to  join  the  new  movement  and  take  all  his  class  with  him. 
The  meeting  of  tlie  class  had  been  appointed  at  a  new  place,  but  the 
street  and  number  could  not  be  ascertained.  He  sent  a  message  to 
one  of  his  colleagues,  J.  Soule,  to  go  in  search  of  the  meeting,  and  he 
would  do  the  same.  He  arrived  in  time  to  open  tlie  class  and  lead  it, 
Mr.  Soule  coming  in  just  before  the  close.  The  leader  was  told  that 
they  had  heard  of  his  intention,  and  he  admitted  that  the  iuformation 
was  correct.^  "  These  sisters,"  said  the  preacher,  "  have  long  met 
in  your  class,  and  they,  with  us,  would  like  to  know  your  reasons  for 
going."  He  replied:  "You  know  I  have  long  thought  it  my  duty  to 
preach  the  Gospel ;  I  have  asked  for  license  and  could  not  get  it, 
and  Mr.  Stilwell  says  he  will  give  it.'"  "  The  best  reason  I  have 
heard  from  any  one  for  leaving  us,"  said  Mr.  Hunt;  "  and  now  I  wish 
to  know  if  any  of  the  class  desire  to  go."  Sister  Susan  Brewer  said, 
"  When  I  joined  tiie  Methodists  it  was  for  life,  and  I  am  determined 
to  remain  in  the  old  ship  as  long  as  there  is  one  plank  left."  None  of 
the  sisters  proposed  to  leave,  and  the  class  was  put  in  the  charge  of 
Mr.  Soule,  Sister  Brewer  leading  in  his  absence. — Papers  of  Rev.  Aaron 
Hunt. 


Tares  Springing  Up.  227 

Samuel  came  to  New  York  city  in  1783,  and  was  some- 
what prominent  in  municipal  affairs.  In  1799  he  was 
appointed  one  of  the  assessors  for  the  second  division 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  the  same  year  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  State  Assembly.  In  1803  he 
was  commissioned  as  city  surveyor,  and  took  part  in 
the  preliminary  surveys  and  preparation  of  the  map  ac- 
cording? to  which  the  city  has  since  been  laid  out.  He 
was  intimate  with  De  Witt  Clinton  and  other  eminent 
men  of  the  day.*  It  is  not  known  exactly  when  he 
joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  but  in  1791 
he  was  leader  of  a  class  of  colored  people,  of  which 
Peter  Williams,  the  celebrated  sexton  of  John  Street, 
was  a  member.     He  died  in  February,  1848.f 

Rev.  William  M.  Stilwell,  the  nephew  of  Samuel, 
was  admitted  to  the  New  York  Conference  on  trial  in 
1814,  and  after  serving  in  several  charges  up  the  North 
River  was  appointed  to  Zion  and  Asbury,  two  churches 
of  colored  people  in  New  Yoi'k  city.  It  was  no  doubt 
in  part  through  the  influence  of  his  uncle  that  he  con- 
sented to  become  the  ministerial  leader  of  the  new  or- 
ganization. It  does  not  appear  that  any  other  travel- 
ing preacher  followed  his  example.  Rev.  Seth  Crowell, 
a  located  minister,  a  most  excellent  man  and  a  superior 
preacher,  but  of  a  peculiarly  nervous  and  impulsive  tem- 
perament, had  some  sympathy  with  the  mov'ement,  but 
never  formally  united  with  it,  and  in  1824  was  re-admitted 
to  the  Conference  and  died  two  years  later.  The  eccentric 
Lorenzo  Dow  became  a  member,  and  his  name  is  in  their 
minutes  as  general  missionary.  Rev.  .James  Covel,  M.D. 
(whose  two  sons,  Samuel  and  James,  became  traveling 
ministers  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church),  Rev.  Mr. 
Miller,  of  Rochester,  and  Rev.  George  Phillips  are  also 

*  Life  of  Samuel  Stilioell,  by  Samuel  Stilwell  Doughty.    1877. 
f  Ihid. 


228  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City, 

ill  their  list;  but  all  these  appear  to  have  been  local  or 
located  preachers.  Of  prominent  laymen  there  were, 
besides  Samuel  Stilwell,  Messrs.  Taylor,  Higgins,  Sher- 
man, De  Cami^,  Sutton,  and  Miller,  men  of  good  repu- 
tation and  abilities  and  of  fair  social  standing. 

In  July,  1820,  a  meeting  of  the  Separatists  was  held 
and  a  rough  draft  of  articles  of  association  was  made 
and  adopted  to  serve  as  a  bond  of  union  till  a  better 
organization  could  be  prepared.*  A  school-room  was 
hired  in  Chrystie  Street  for  a  place  of  worship,  and  there, 
on  the  I'Jth  of  July,  Rev.  W.  M.  Stilwell  i)reached,  and 
afterward  gave  notice  that  he  had  withdrawn  from  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  now  joined  the  "  Meth- 
odist Society."  He  then  invited  all  who  wished  to  join  to 
come  forward.  About  one  hundred  came^  and  the  num- 
ber soon  increased  to  three  hundred.  Legal  incorpora- 
tion was  secured,  and  on  the  8th  of  August,  1820, 
George  Taylor,  Jr.,  Michael  D.  Higgins,  Edward  Stur- 
man,  Morris  De  Camp,  Daniol  Sutton,  and  Richard 
Mil'er  were  elected  trustees,  and  on  the  next  day  the 
certificate  of  incorporation  was  recorded  with  the  name 
of  "  The  Methodist  Society  in  the  City  of  New  York."  f 

*  Articles  of  Association:  1.  Tlie  Bible  will  be  their  rule  of  disci- 
pline. 2.  PJach  member,  male  and  female,  shall  have  a  vole  in  the 
choice  of  preachers  and  the  allowance  to  be  made  for  their  services, 
3.  Disputes  or  disagreements  between  members  to  be  settled  bj'  tliree, 
five,  or  seven  members  of  the  society,  as  may  be  agreed  on.  If  the 
dispute  is  between  men,  it  shall  be  left  to  men  to  settle ;  if  between 
women,  to  be  left  to  women.  4.  Persons  to  be  tried  for  transgress- 
ing agniust  the  good  order  of  the  society  shall  have  the  fairest  op- 
portunity possible  of  obtaining  an  impartial  jury.  5.  The  members 
will  all  be  classed  in  classes  of  about  twenty  members  each,  and  will 
be  met  once  a  week  by  a  leader  of  their  own  choice.  6.  The  mem- 
bers, having  equal  rights,  may  form  such  rules  for  regulating  and 
promoting  the  good  of  the  society  as  may  be  thought  expedient  by  a 
majority  of  the  members. — Historical  Sketches,  p.  24. 

^  Hi9ixy)-ical  Sketches,  p.  26. 


Tares  Sprixgixg  Up.  229 

Ground  v/as  purchased  on  Chrystie  Street,  between 
Pump  (now  Canal)  and  Hester  Streets,  and  a  brick 
building,  fifty  by  seventy-eight  feet  in  dimensions,  with 
a  basement  story,  was  erected,  which  was  dedicated  on 
the  last  day  of  the  same  year.  During  tlie  next  year 
the  number  of  members,  including  probationers,  rose  to 
about  six  hundred.  Two  additional  places  of  worship 
were  opened,  one  in  Sullivan  Street,  which  grew  into  a 
Avell-established  Church  ;  and  societies  were  planted  on 
Long  Island  and  in  other  ])arts  of  New  York  State, 
and  in  Connecticut  and  New  Jersey.*  A  regular  form 
of  discipline  was  adopted,  and  in  1825  the  body  num- 
bered 864  members  in  New  York  city,  and  2,187  in  the 
whole  connection,  being  an  increase  of  386  during  the 
year  ]) receding. 

IJut  the  question  of  congregational  independence  or 
connectional  unity  with  an  itinerant  ministry  now 
began  to  be  agitated.  The  church  in  Chrystie  Street 
declared  itself  independent,  and  chose  Mr.  Stilwell  as 
its  minister.  A  conference  held  in  the  Sullivan  Street 
Church,  November  8,  1826,  at  which  Dr.  James  Covel 
presided,  was  not  attended  by  Mr.  Stilwell  and  his 
people,  and  they  were  henceforth  left  to  themselves. 
Of  the  two  churches  that  yet  remained,  that  in  Sulli- 
van Street  had  considerable  prosperity.  It  afterward 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  "  Methodist  Protestants," 
and  in  1839  a  new  and  much  more  commodious  edifice 
was  built  further  north  on  the  same  street.  In  1846 
this  church,  its  members  and  property,  passed  over  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  Washington 
Square  Church  in  Fourth  Street  is  its  successor. 

*  There  is  no  evidence  of  the  existence  of  societies  in  any  other 
State  ;  but  in  their  Minutes  of  1824  and  1825  there  is  reference  to  the 
"Wesleyan  Methodist  Conference"  held  at  Cincinnati,  reporting  288 
members. 


230  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

In  faith  and  discipline  and  general  economy  the  new 
organization  agreed  substantially  with  the  old,  except 
that  it  included  neither  bishops  nor  presiding  elders, 
and  was  intensely  democratic.  Every  member,  male 
and  female,  had  a  vote,  and  every  question  was  decided 
by  a  vote  of  the  society.  The  only  exceptions  were 
the  court  of  appeals,  for  reviewing  judicial  proceedings, 
which  was  composed  of  all  'nfiale  members  over  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  and  the  "committee  of  examination," 
which  was  selected  by  lot. 

Had  the  Protestant  Methodist  Church  never  arisen 
it  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  this  "  Methodist  So- 
ciety "  would  have  had  a  wider  influ'cnce  and  a  longer 
existence.  Whether  the  leaders  in  that  movement 
failed  to  pay  to  Mr.  Stilwell  the  respect  to  which  he 
thought  himself  entitled,  or  whether  he  did  not  sympa- 
thize with  all  their  methods,  is  not  known.  Many  of 
his  societies  became  associated  with  the  Protestants, 
but  have  since  either  died  out  or  become  Congrega- 
tionalist.  It  is  believed  that  not  one  now  exists  in  its 
original  character.  Mr.  Stilwell  remained  in  charge 
of  the  Chrystie  Street  society,  where  he  had  good  con- 
gregations. In  1846  there  were  about  three  hundred 
members.* 

In  1847  a  church  was  erected  on  First  Street,  near 
First  Avenue,  to  which  the  Chrystie  Street  society  re- 
moved, and  here  Mr.  Stilwell  passed  the  last  years  of 
his  ministry  in  absolute  ecclesiastical  independence. 
He  died  at  Astoria,  Long  Island,  August  9,  1851,  and 
his  Church  died  with  him.  There  is  every  reason  to 
believe  that,  if  he  did  not  regret  the  step  he  had  taken, 
he  at  least  was  satisfied  that  the  causes  that  led  him  to 
it  no  longer  existed.  His  own  children  became  mem- 
bers of  the  mother-Church,  and  there  is  good  authority 
*  Greenleaf  8  History  of  New  York  Churches,  p.  308. 


Tares  Springing  Up.  231 

for  saying  that,  when  about  to  retire  from  labor,  he 
entered  into  correspondence  with  a  presiding  elder  in 
New  York  in  regard  to  transferring  his  society  to  the 
care  of  the  old  organization.  The  project  failed,  how- 
ever, most  probably  because  no  other  Methodist  church 
was  needed  in  tliat  vicinity. 

In  the  New  York  City  Directory  for  1890  there  is 
not  named  a  single  Methodist  place  of  worship  for 
Avhite  people  except  those  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  This  episode  in  New  York  Metliodist  history, 
which  began  with  the  "  Stilwellite  Secession  "  is  now 
tlierefore  complete.  It  was,  no  doubt,  harmful  to  some 
of  those  engaged  in  it,  as  is  inevitable  in  all  church 
controversies,  but  it  may  not  have  been  wholly  unpro- 
ductive of  good  to  the  Church  at  large.  The  case  is 
especially  instructive  in  respect  to  the  unwisdom  of 
seeking  the  reform  of  supposed  abuses  or  the  correction 
of  infelicities  in  the  affairs  of  the  Church  by  going  out 
from  its  communion.  The  actors  in  the  affairs  of  which 
we  have  written  have  nearly  all  passed  away.  They 
were  not  perfect  either  in  mind  or  heart,  but  ibr  the 
most  part  they  were  good  and  well-meaning  people. 

Mr.  Stilwell  is  described  as  a  man  of  about  middle 
size,  rather  stout,  and  of  ruddy  countenance,  with  blue 
eyes  and  auburn  hair.  As  a  public  speaker  his  manner 
was  easy,  his  voice  and  delivoy  good,  and  his  preach- 
ing was  pleasing  and  impressive.  During  the  years  of 
his  service  in  the  New  York  Conference  he  had  become 
well  and  favorably  known  for  one  of  his  age;  had  he 
remained  he  would  probably  have  attained  a  good  posi- 
tion in  the  Church.* 

*  The  hymn-book  used  by  the  "  Methodist  Society  "  contained  rather 
raore  than  four  hundred  hymns,  about  two  thirds  of  which  were  in 
the  book  in  use  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Cliureh.     There  is  uo  at- 
tempt at  classification  according  to  subjects. 
16 


232  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


CHAPTER  XX.     • 

RAIN   ON    THE    MOWN  GRASS— CONFERENCES   OE    1820 
TO  1827. 

Except  tliis  secession,  little  of  importance  seems  to 
have  taken  place  between  the  Conferences  of  1820  and 
1821.  On  July  12,  1820,  Samuel  Stihvell,  George 
Taylor,  Jr.,  Michael  D.  Higgins,  and  James  Donaldson 
resigned  as  trustees,  and  at  the  meeting  of  August  11 
it  was  reported  that  Joseph  Smith,  Paul  Hick,  John  C. 
Totten,  and  Eliphalet  Wheeler  were  elected  to  fill  the 
vacancies.*  At  tlie  meeting  of  December  4  it  was  re- 
solved to  occupy  the  second  story  of  the  Wesleyan 
Seminary  as  a  place  of  worship  if  the  preachers  would 
supply  it  in  rotation  with  the  other  appointments.  This 
arrangement,  however,  does  not  seem  to  have  lasted 
long.  In  March,  1821,  the  regular  election  for  trustees 
was  held,  and  Abraham  Russel,  Gilbert  Coutant,  and 
George  Suckley  Avcre  unanimous!}'  re-elected.  The  debt 
at  that  time  was  833,749  55,  having  increased  during 
the  year  nearly  |;l,200.f 

The  Conference  of  1821  met  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  May  30, 
and  Bishop  George  presided.  J  The  appointments  for 
the  city  were:  J.  Soule,  E.  Hel)ard,  M.  Richardson,  AV. 
Ross,  II,   Bangs,  J.  Summerfield.     P.  P.  Sandford  was 

*  Paul  Hick  bad  been  trustee  up  to  the  preceding-  March,  but  Iiad 
then  failed  of  re-election,  probably  through  the  op[)Ositiou  of  the  up- 
town party.     The  other  three  were  new  men  in  the  board. 

f  Trustees'  minutes. 

J  For  report  of  numbers  see  p.  215. 


Raix  ox  the  Mown  Grass.  233 

continued  as  presiding  elder.  Three  of  these  names 
are  new.  * 

William  Ross  was  born  in  Tyringliam,  Mass., 
February  10,  1792,  converted  at  the  age  of  seventeen, 
and  entered  Conference  in  his  twentieth  year.  His 
earlier  fields  of  labor  were  in  Canada  and  the  north- 
ei-n  parts  of  ISTew  England  and  New  York.  In  1818 
he  was  sent  to  Brooklyn,  in  1819  to  Troy,  whore 
he  spent  two  years,  and  after  his  two  years  in  Xew 
York  city  he  was  re-ap])ointed  to  Brooklyn  in  1823, 
where  he  died  February  10,  1825.  He  was  buried  in 
the  old  Sands  Street  church-yard,  but  about  fifty  years 
after  his  remains  were  removed  to  Greenwood.  He 
was  "  a  gifted  young  preacher,"  "  a  natural  orator,"  "  a 
man  of  power  in  the  pulpit."  f  Tradition  jndeed  places 
him  very  nearly  on  a  level  with  his  colleague,  John 
Summertield,  who  finished  his  course  but  a  few  months 
later,  and  was  also  buried  in  the  Sands  Street  ground. 
At  the  General  Conference  of  1824  he  "signalized  him- 
self as  the  author  of  a  very  able  and  luminous  report  on 
missions."  J  A  daughter,  Mary  E.,  was  the  wife  of  Rev. 
Thomas  H.  Burch,  of  the  New  York  East  Conference. 

Heman  Bangs  was  a  younger  brother  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Nathan  Bangs.  He  Avas  born  in  Fairfield,  Conn.,  April 
15,  1790,  converted  in  1808,  and  received  on  trial  at  the 
Conference  of  1815.  From  that  time  until  the  Confer- 
ence of  18G9,  Avith  the  exception  of  one  year  in  which 
he  was  supernumerary,  he  was  steadily  employed — 
eleven  jears  in  New  York  city  and  fourteen  years  as 
l^residing   elder  on   different   districts,   eight   of  which 

*  Ricliardson's  residence  is  set  down  as  Second  Avenue ;  Ross's, 
Duane  Street,  next  the  cliurch;  Bangs's,  57  Gold,  and  Sunimerfleld's, 
Walker  Street. 

f  Revs.  M.  Breckenridge,  X.  Kellogg,  and  L.  Clark,  in  Warriuer's 
Old  Sands  Street,  p.  209. 

J  Sprague's  Annals,  p.  525. 


234  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

were  on  the  New  York  District.  He  was  a  man  of 
marked  jjersonality,  and  made  himself  felt  in  eveiy 
position  he  occujiied.  The  rules  of  homiletics  were  lit- 
tle regarded  by  him;  but  his  preaching  Avas  simple, 
practical,  and  earnest,  and  often  accompanied  with 
much  divine  power.  A  faithful  and  laborious  pastor, 
he  was  the  mainspring  of  all  the  activity  in  his  charge; 
so  much  so,  indeed,  that  w^hen  he  left  it  was  sometimes 
difficult  to  keep  things  revolving  in  the  orbit  which  he 
had  marked  out.  In  his  family  relations  he  was  exceed- 
ingly happy,  but  was  deprived  of  both  his  sons  in  their 
early  manhood.  One  was  lost  at  sea,  the  other,  Rev. 
SteplicTi  B.  Bangs,  died  after  a  brief  career  of  great 
brilliance  and  promise.  Two  daughters  survive  him. 
He  finished  his  course  in  Xew  Haven,  November  2,  1869, 
in  great  peace  and  triumph.  The  last  entry  in  his  jour- 
nal (under  date  of  August  4)  closes  Avith  the  words,  '-I 
am  saved  by  grace,  through  faith." 

Perhaps  no  contrast  could  be  greater  than  that  be- 
tween Heman  Bangs  and  John  Summerfield.  The  one 
was  of  large  frame  and  vigorous  constitution;  the  other 
exceeding!}'  delicate  and  fragile.  The  one  with  sturdy 
blows  assaulted  successfully  the  strongholds  of  sin;  the 
other  with  sweet  persuasive  speech  melted  and  won  the 
hearts  of  his  heai-ers.  Bangs  banged  his  way;  Sum- 
merfield suggested  a  delightful  field,  beautiful  with  all 
the  fertility  of  early  summer.  There  was  truly  here  a 
diversity  of  gifts,  but  the  same  Spirit. 

John  Summerfield  was  born  in  Lancashire,  England, 
January  31,  1798.  Converted  at  Dublin,  Ireland,  he 
soon  began  to  exercise  his  gifts  publicly,  and  in  1819  was 
received  into  the  Irish  Conference,  though  on  account 
of  his  feeble  health  he  was  not  immediately  appointed 
to  a  circuit.  Rev.  (afterward  Bishop)  John  Emory  met 
liim  at  the  British  Conference  at  Liverpool,  and,  it  is 


Rain  on  the  Mown  Grass.  235 

believed,  luid  much  to  do  with  iTiducing  him  to  come  to 
this  country.  A  speech  delivered  shortly  after  his  ar- 
rival, at  the  anniversary  of  the  American  Bible  Society, 
was  regarded  as  one  of  the  very  finest  specimens  of 
platform  eloquence.  From  that  time  his  career  was 
brilliant.  Crowds  flocked  to  hear  him,  and  men  of  all 
classes  and  denominations  delighted  to  do  him  honor. 
But  no  brief  sketch  like  that  permitted  here  can  do 
justice  to  his  memory.  Those  who  wish  to  know  more 
must  read  his  life  by  John  Holland,  or  the  sketch  in 
Sprague's  Annals  of  the  Methodist  Puljjit.  He  was  a 
burning  and  a  shining  light,  but  the  Church  rejoiced  in 
that  light  for  only  a  brief  season.  He  died  June  13, 
1825,  and  was  buried  in  the  grave-yard  of  the  Sands 
Street  Church,  Brooklyn,  L.  I.  Perhaps  no  pulpit 
had  been  occupied  by  him  more  frequently  than  that 
of  the  John  Street  Church,  and  after  his  death  arrange- 
ments were  made  to  erect  a  tablet  there  to  his  memory. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem,  very  decided  objections  were 
made  to  its  admission  to  the  interior  of  the  building, 
and  it  was  therefore  afhxed  to  the  outer  front  wall, 
where  it  could  be  read  from  the  street.  When  the 
present  building  was  erected  it  Avas  removed  to  the 
interior.* 

The  year  seems  not  to  have  been  marked  with  any 
events  of  much  special  interest.  A  society  room  was 
built  in  the  rear  of  the  preacher's  house  in  Allen  Street, 
and  steps  were  taken  to  provide  similar  accommoda- 
tions in  the  basements  of  the  Greenwich  Church  and  of 
that  at  Duane  Street.  The  watch-night  at  the  close 
of  1821  "was  solemn  and  powerful."!  A  seeker's 
prayer-meeting,  held  by  Rev.  11.  Bangs  at  liis  house 
on  Monday  afternoons,  was  very  profitable.     Of  that  of 

*  See  p.  285. 

f  H.  Bangs's  Autohiogrcrphy ,   p.   107. 


2.">6  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

February  18,  1822,  he  says,  "ItAvas  the  most  powerful 
time  I  have  seen  since  I  have  been  in  New  York."  * 

At  the  election  in  March,  1822,  Paul  Hick,  John 
Bartine,  and  James  Donaldson  Avere  chosen  trustees. 
The  debt  of  the  church  Avas  nearly  S-35,500,  having  in- 
creased during  the  year  nearly  $1,700. 

On  May  29, 1822,  Conference  met  in  New  York,  Bishop 
George  in  the  chair.  The  report  from  the  city  was 
2,370  whites,  67  colored;  total,  2,437 — again  of  282. 
The  appointments  Avere  E.  Washburn,  M.  Richardson, 
S.  Martindale,  W.  Ross,  H.  Bangs,  J.  Summerfield.f 
Only  one  of  these  names  is  ncAV. 

Stephen  Martindale  Avas  a  native  of  the  Eastern  Shore 
of  Maryland,  and  born  in  1788.  His  grandfather  w^as 
a  minister  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  his  father  a 
Methodist  local  preacher.  He  entered  the  itinerancy 
in  ]  809,  and  soon  obtained  prominent  appointments. 
Besides  some  six  years  in  all  in  New  York  he  s])ent  tAvo 
years  in  Philadelphia  and  two  in  Boston,  and  for  twenty 
years  Avas  presiding  elder.  After  fifty  years  of  unin- 
terrupted effective  service  he  superannuated  in  1860,  and 
died  May  23  of  the  same  year,  at  Tarry  to  Avn,  West- 
chester County,  N.  Y.  Tall  and  well-proportioned, 
Avith  a  countenance  fair  and  ruddy,  a  A'oice  Avhose  rich 
intonations  flowed  and  rippled  like  a  brook,  action 
marked  by  vivacity  and  gracefulness,  a  diction  always 
correct  and  often  elegant,  he  possessed,  especialh'  in  liis 
early  days  and  in  his  prime,  a  natural  eloquence  Avhich 
made  him  a  popular  preacher.  He  Avas  a  sound  theo- 
logian and  remarkably  gifted  in  prayer.  His  oldest 
daughter,  the  late  Mrs.  Dr.  A.  S.  Purdy,  of  New  York, 
said,  "I   considered    my  father  a  perfect    Christian,  a 

*H.  Baiigs's  Autobiography,  p.  109. 

f  All  we  can  learn  of  their  residences  is,  Washburn,  12  Forsyth 
Sireet;   Martindale,  Allen,  next  church;   Ross,  Duane,  next  church. 


Raix  ox  the  Mown  Grass.  2:>7 

beautiful  example — it  vras  this  that  made  me  a  Chris- 
tian." * 

As  to  spiritual  matters  this  yeai',  we  learn  nothing 
except  that  on  the  evening  of  October  26  they  had  a 
good  love-feast. f  As  to  temporals,  Joseph  Smith,  Ab. 
Coddington,  and  John  Bailey  were  elected  trustees 
in  March,  1823.  The  debt  at  that  time  was  about 
$36,400 — an  increase  of  about  $950.];  On  the  17th  of 
April  a  plan  of  a  sinking  fund  to  reduce  the  debt  was 
presented,  and  on  April  23,  at  a  joint  meeting  of 
trustees  and  preachers,  it  was  adopted,  nearly  all  the 
preachers  being  present. 

"Malta  Balston,  East  Line,"  Avas  the  place  of  the 
New  York  Conference  of  1823,  May  28  the  date,  and 
Bishop  George  the  presiding  officer.  The  membership 
in  the  city  stood  2,499  whites,  73  colored,  Asbury  Afri- 
can, 134;  total,  2,706 — a  gain  of  269.  The  appointments 
were  E.  Washburn,  S.  Martindale,  P.  Rice,  J.  B.  Strat- 
ten,  S.  Bushnell,  E.  Brown.  Tliree  of  these  names  we 
have  not  met  Avitli  before. § 

John  B.  Stratten  was  in  many  respects  a  contrast  to 
his  colleague,  S.  Martindale,  who  came  to  the  city  the 
preceding  year.  Not  as  tall,  nor  as  graceful,  nor  as 
fluent,  he  was  exceedingly  original,  and  often  deeply 
impressive.  Born  in  Stratford,  Conn.,  and  converted  in 
early  life,  he  entered  the  Conference  in  1811.     He  also 

*  Annual  Minutes. 

f  II.  Bangs's  Autobiography^  p.  121.  He  tells  us  also  (p.  122)  that 
with  a  family  of  six  persons  he  was  allowed  only  $500,  and  had  to 
borrow  money  to  remove  to  his  next  charge,  New  Rochelle. 

\  It  should  be  said,  however,  that  of  this  about  $750  had  been  ex- 
pended on  the  lecture-room  in  Duane  Street,  and  the  receipts  for  the 
year  exceeded  ordinary  expenses  by  about  $75. 

§  The  residences,  as  far  as  we  can  ascertain  them,  were,  "Washburn, 
1 2  Forsyth  Street ;  Rice,  Amos  (now  "West  Tentli  Street),  near  Herring 
(now  Bleecker);   Stratten,  59  Gold;  and  Bushnell,  216  Duane. 


238  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

labored  uninteiTupteJly  for  about  Hfty  years,  ten  years  in 
New  York  city  and  seven  in  otlier  cities,  and  twenty-two 
as  presiding  elder.    He  died  in  great  peace  June  23,  1863. 

Samuel  Buslinell  probably  little  thought  that  in  coming 
to  New  York  city  he  was  entering  upon  his  last  charge. 
He  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  November  28,  1782,  con- 
verted when  about  sixteen  j-ears  of  age,  and  received  on 
trial  in  1810.  His  appointments  had  been  in  various 
parts  of  the  States  of  New  York  and  Connecticut.  To 
his  general  character  high  testimony  is  given  in  the 
Minutes,  but  nothing  is  said  of  his  ability  nor  the  precise 
date  of  his  death.     It  was,  however,  in  1824  or  1825. 

Ebenezer  Brown  entered  the  work  in  1818  and  labored 
six  years,  one  of  which  was  as  missionary  to  Louisiana.* 
He  located  in  1825  and  engaged  in  secular  business  in 
Troy,  New  York,  and  Philadelphia,  but  in  his  later 
years  made  his  home  with  his  only  surviving  daughter 
in  Baltimore,  where  he  died  January  3,  1889,  in  his 
ninety-fourth  year.f 

III  March,  1824,  Abraham  Russel,  George  Suckley, 
and  Gilbert  Coutant  were  re-elected  as  trustees.  The 
debt  at  that  time  is  reported  as  about  $36,106,  being  a 
decrease  of  nearly  $300. 

Just  here  we  have  an  opportunity  of  looking  at  the 
Church  in  New  York  city  through  foreign  eyes.  The 
British  Wesleyan  Conference  appointed  two  of  its 
members,  Richard  Reece  and  John  Hannah,  delegates 
to  the  American  General  Conferencs  of  1824.  Mr. 
Reece,  in  a  letter  in  the  'Wesleyan  Magazine  of  1825 
(page  46),  speaks  of  preaching  in  Duane  Street,  March 
]  4,  and  says  :  "  The  singing  was  peculiarly  sweet,  its 

*  He  was  tlie  first  missionary  appointed  by  the  Missionary  Society 
of  the  Metliodist  Episcopal  Church.  See  Dr.  Reid's  History  of  Mis- 
sions, vol.  i,  p.  80. 

\  Chiixtinn  Advocate,  vol.  l.\iv,  pp.  24  and  41. 


Rain  ox  the  Mowx  Grass.  239 

character  Avas  simple  melody,  yet  few  of  the  congrega- 
tion join  in  this  part  of  public  worship,  but  left  the 
pleasure  and  the  duty  mostly  to  the  choir.  This  I 
found  to  be  the  case  in  all  the  eastern  States  where  I 
had  opportunity  of  attending  the  churches.  I  felt  it  a 
great  defect  and  disadvantage."  Again,  he  says:  "At 
night  I  preached  in  John  Street;  the  church  was  ovei*- 
flowing.  The  men  and  the  women  sit  apart  in  all  our 
places  of  worship,  on  benches  with  railed  backs,  no 
pews  being  allowed  by  the  Conference  anywhere." 
He  also  attended  a  love-feast  in  the  same  church  where 
there  was  a  lai-ge  company,  and  the  people  spoke  f  reel\^ 
Some  of  them  had  received  perfect  love  and  others 
were  seeking  it.  He  speaks  of  the  custom  of  the  choir 
to  sing  while  the  collection  was  taken,  and  says:  "The 
last  time  I  preached  in  that  city  I  was  mucli  charmed 
and  affected.  My  subject  Avas  the  privilege  of  believers 
to  have  Christ  living  in  them  by  his  Spirit.  A  special 
influence  accompanied  the  word.  The  singers,  joined  by 
most  of  the  people,  in  sounds  as  much  resembling  the 
melody  of  heaven  as  I  expect  to  hear  on  earth,  began — 

" '  0  joyful  sound  of  Gospel  grace! 

Christ  shall  iti  me  appear; 
I,  even  T,  shall  see  his  face, 

I  shall  be  holy  here.' 

The  words  were  well  chosen,  the  voices,  male  and  female, 
m.elodious  and  impassioned,  the  tune  soft  and  devotional, 
so  that  the  blessing  of  perfect  love  seemed  within  reach, 
or  rather  in  possession  of  every  worshiper."* 

*  Rev.  George  Coles  (in  his  First  Seven  Years  in  America,  pp.  281- 
282)  says  this  was  in  John  Street  Church,  and  that  tiie  tune  was 
Pleyel's  C.  M.  D.  On  page  45  of  the  Methodist  Harmonist,  the  tune- 
hook  in  use  at  that  time,  may  be  found  a  tune  by  Pleyel  set  to  these 
words,  called  "  Devotion."  For  a  description  of  Methodist  worship 
about  this  time  see  Appendix  Q. 


240  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

At  tlie  Conference  of  1824  Bisliop  George  presided, 
but  Elijah  Hedding,  just  elected  to  the  episcopacy,  was 
jiresent  ;  tliis  being,  therefore,  his  first  Conference  in 
his  new  office.*  It  met  on  June  1  at  the  \Yesley:in 
Seminary  in  Crosby  Street,  New  York,  f  The  report 
at  this  session  was  2,480  wliites  and  59  colored,  in 
all  2,539 — an  apparent  loss  of  107.  This  is  in  part, 
however,  to  be  ascribed  to  the  absence  of  any  report  from 
the  Asbury  African  churches.  P.  P.  Sandford,  P.  Rice, 
T.  Mason,  J.  B.  Stratten,  S.  Bushnell,  and  E.  Brown  were 
the  preachers,  and  L.  Clark  presiding  elder.  Tlie  General 
Conference,  which  had  met  in  May,  had  also  made  a 
change  in  the  book  agency,  app  anting  Jolin  Emory 
as  assistant  to  N.  Bangs.  J 

Thomas  Mason  was  well  knowai  and  highly  appre- 
ciated already  in  New  York,  having  often  preached 
in  the  churches  during  his  eight  years  of  service  as  book 
agent.  He  began  his  labors  about  1808  in  South  Caro- 
lina, where  he  continued  until  hisfiist  appointment  to  the 
Book  Concern.  After  filling  various  charges  in  the  New- 
York  Conference  he  was  again  (in  1832)  chosen  agent 
— a  position  for  which  his  business  ability  well  qualified 
him.  He  died  in  New  York  city,  June  10,  1843,  aged 
fifty-seven.     His  excellent  and  devoted  wife,  Mrs.  Mary 

*  Clark's  Life  of  Htddiag,  p.  30G. 

f  It  may  seem  strange  to  New  York  Methodistd  of  tlie  present  day, 
accustomed  as  they  are  to  attend  the  Conference  sessions  in  some 
large  ch\n-ch  edifice,  often  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity,  that  a  school- 
room, capable  of  holding  not  more  than  two  hundred  persons,  should 
be  selected  for  the  place  of  meeting.  But  tlien,  and  for  some  years 
afterward,  the  general  public  was  not  admitted,  and  room  for  only 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  persons  was  needed.  The  sessions 
were  regarded  as  private  and  confidential,  especially  as  the  character 
of  the  preachers  was  one  of  the  questions  to  bo  considered. 

X  S.indford's  home  was  at  12  Forsyth  Street,  Mason's  at  11  Crosby 
Street.  Bangs's  at  92  Eldridge,  and  Emory's  at  Asylum  (West  Fourth), 
nenr  Amos  (West  Tenth).     The  rest  we  cannot  h  cate. 


Rain  on  the  Mown  Grass.  241 

W,  Mason,  has  left  a  memory  very  precious  to  the  Church 
in  New  York. 

In  Octobei",  1824,  the  venerable  Freeborn  Garrettson 
preached  the  funeral  sermon  of  Mrs.  Carpenter,  wife  of 
Thomas  Carj^enter,  and  mother  of  Rev.  Charles  W. 
Carpenter.  *  Daring  the  following  March  also  he  was 
in  the  city,  and  says:  "Brother  Paul  Mick  and  Brotlier 
Arcularius,  two  of  the  oldest  members  of  the  Church 
in  the  city,  have  just  gone  to  lieaven,  and  I  fear  Brother 
Carpenter  will  not  continue  long,"  Thomas  Carperiter 
died  soon  after  in  great  peace. f 

James  Donaldson,  John  Bartine,  and  Robert  Math- 
ison  were  elected  trustees  in  March,  1825.  The  debt  at 
that  time  was  |35,657 — a  reduction  of  nearl}'  8450  dur- 
ing the  year. 

In  1825  the  Conference  met  at  Troy,  N  Y.,  on  May 
3,  Bishop  George  again  presiding  and  Bishop  Hedding 
assisting.^  Methodism  was  gaining  a  little  in  the  city 
of  New  York  ;  it  repoi'ted  2,567  whites  and  56  coloi-ed; 
in  all,  2,623 — an  increase  of  84.  L.  Clark  continued  in 
the  eldership,  and  the  preachers  were  P.  P.  Sandford, 
H.  Stead,  W.  Jewett,  J.  Youngs,  D.  De  Vinne,  H. 
Chase — all  new  names  but  one.  § 

Henry  Stead's  life  and  ministry  began  in  England, 
where  he  was  born  April  10,  1774,  and  after  his  con- 
version spent  two  years  there  as  a  local  preacher  and 
two  as  an  itinerant.  Coming  to  this  country  Avlien 
about   twenty-eight  years  of  age,  he  was  received  on 

*  Life  of  Garrettson,  p.  265. 

f  At  the  meeting  of  the  trustees,  November  2,  1824,  a  complaint  was 
made  that  some  persons  liad  placed  cushions  in  seats  in  the  Jolui 
Street  Ciiurch,  and  the  matter  was  referred  to  a  committee.  Xo 
report  of  tliis  committee  is  on  record. 

X  Clark's  Life  of  Hedding,  p.  320. 

§  Their  homes  were,  Sandford.  12  Forsyth  wStreet ;  Stead,  190  Allen; 
Tonngs,  4  Amos  ;  Chase,  216  Duane ;  and  Clark,  Amos,  near  Herring. 


242  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

trial  ill  the  New  York  Conference  in  1804.  More  than 
thirty  years  he  spent  in  the  effective  service,  most  of 
them  in  responsible  positions,  of  which  seventeen  were 
as  presiding  elder.  Though  not  ranking  "  among  the 
great  men  and  orators  of  his  day,  there  was  a  charm 
and  efficiency  about  his  ministrations  altogether  un- 
common, and  lie  was  an  example  of  a  truly  sanctified 
man,"  He  died  in  connection  with  the  Troy  Conference, 
October  18,  1854.* 

William  Jewett's  muscular  form,  ruddy  visage,  and 
strong,  clear  voice,  will  long  be  remembered  on  both 
banks  of  the  Hudson  River,  where  nearly  all  of  his 
ministerial  life  was  spent.  Born  in  Sharon,  Conn., 
converted  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  entered  the  New 
York  Conference  in  1808,  and  spent  more  than  fr.rty 
consecutive  years  in  effective  work,  eighteen  of  them  as 
presiding  elder.  He  was  plain,  simple,  and  practical  as 
a  preacher,  and  wise,  diligent,  and  faithful  as  a  pastor. 
He  died  in  Poughkeepsie,  June  27,  1857. 

Daniel  De  Vinne  Avas  born  in  Londonderry,  Ireland, 
February  1,  1793,  of  Roman  Catholic  parents,  who 
brought  him  to  this  country  in  his  childhood  and 
trained  him  in  profound  veneration  for  their  Church. 
But  his  spiritual  yearnings  were  not  satisfied;  and  when 
fifteen  years  of  age  he  visited  in  tui-n  all  the  churches 
in  Albany  except  the  Methodist,  which  was  thought 
too  heretical  to  be  worthy  of  notice.  A  year  later,  still 
unsatisfied,  he  went  into  a  watch-meeting  in  the  North 
Pearl  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  immedi- 
ately felt  "  These  are  the  people."  He  was  converted 
the  next  evening,  and  on  the  7th  of  January  united 
with  the  Church.  During  the  next  five  years  he  studied 
Latin  and  Greek  and  French  and  Hebrew  and  the 
sciences,  and  afterward  taught  a  school  in  Brooklyn, 
*  Annual  Minntes. 


Rain  on  the  Mown  Grass.  243 

N,  Y.,  for  three  years.  He  then  went  to  Woodville, 
JVIiss.,  and  took  charge  of  a  school,  and  opened  a  Sun- 
day-school to  teach  the  slaves  to  read  the  Sci'iptures. 
But  this  could  not  be  permitted,  and  the  school  was 
broken  up.  In  1819  he  was  received  on  trial  in  the 
Mississippi  Conference,  and  at  his  own  request  sent  to 
labor  among  the  French  in  Lower  Louisiana,  where  he 
traveled  a  circuit  of  five  hundred  and  sixty-four  miles 
around.  In  1824  he  was  transferred  to  the  New  York 
Conference,  and  in  the  division  of  that  body  in  1848  his 
lot  fell  with  the  New  York  East  Conference,  with  which 
he  remained  connected  until  his  death.  Besides  this 
appointment  to  New  York  he  was  again  in  the  city  (at 
Duane  Street)  from  1834-36,  and  during  the  two 
years  following  labored  on  the  Harlem  Mission.  The 
most  of  his  appointments,  however,  were  circuits,  and 
many  of  them  places  of  hard  labor  and  poor  support — a 
fact  which  his  friends  ascribed  in  a  good  degree  to  his 
sturdy  antislavery  position.  He  was  a  thorough  stu- 
dent, an  able,  though  not  popular,  preacher,  and  a  man 
of  decided  convictions,  and  ready  to  maintain  them  at 
any  cost.  He  lived  to  see  his  views  of  slaverv  triumph 
in  Church  and  State,  and  died  September  26,  1882,  in 
the  midst  of  a  truly  devoted  family. 

James  Youngs  came  this  year  to  his  native  city,  where 
he  was  born  in  1785.  He  was  converted  at  the  age  of 
twenty-four,  and  admitted  on  probation  in  the  New 
York  Conference  in  1815.  He  was  able  to  render 
thirty  years  of  effective  service,  four  of  which  were 
spent  in  New  York.  He  was  an  original  and  practical 
preacher  and  a  faithful  pastor.  He  died  at  Peekskill, 
April  28,  1850. 

Henry  Chase,  the  last  in  the  list,  spent  nearly  the 
whole  of  his  strictly  ministerial  career  in  one  charge. 
He  was  born  in  Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y.,  and  joined  the 


2^4  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church  when  about  eigliteen  years 
of  age.  After  a  few  years  in  itinerant  labor  under  a  pre- 
siding elder  he  engaged  in  teaching,  in  which  he  was 
employed  until  1825.  The  superintendency  of  the  Wes- 
leyan  Academy  brought  him  tt)  the  city,  and  before 
that  institution  was  suspended  he  had  found  his  right 
field  of  labor  among  the  seamen  of  the  city.  In  1826 
lie  was  specifically  appointed  to  the  Mariner's  Church 
(>f  New  York,  an  undenomhiational  church  belonging 
to  the  New  York  Port  Society,  and  continued  in  that 
position  until  his  location  in  1852.  His  labors  were  at- 
tended with  marked  success,  and  lie  was  to  the  sea-faring 
population  of  New  York  almost  what  Edwnrd  T.  Taylor 
was  to  the  same  class  in  Boston.  He  died  in  New 
York,  July  8,  1853. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  there  was  some  commo- 
tion in  regard  to  private  meetings  in  i-eference  to  holi- 
ness. Some  of  the  preachers  thought  that  erroneous 
views  of  the  nature  <>f  faith  were  taught  in  them.  About 
fifteen  worthy  members  withdrew.* 

In  March,  1826,  Joseph  Smith,  John  "Westfield,  and 
John  Bailey  were  elected  trustees  for  ihe  terra  of  three 
years,  and  Nathaniel  C.  Hart  for  two  years.  The  debt 
was  $31,883,  having  decreased  more  than  |3,700.  Ar- 
rangements were  made  shortly  after  to  light  the  church 
in  John  Street  Avith  gas,  the  lamps  heretofore  in  use 
there  being  transferred  to  the  new  edifice  in  Willett 
Street. 

The  year  had  been  a  prosperous  one.  When  the 
Conference  met  it  found  a  new  building  just  dedicated,f 
and  a  good  increase  in  membership.  It  assembled  in 
the  Forsyth  Street  Church  on  May  10,  1826.  Bishop 
McKendree  was  in  the  chair,  and  Bishops  George  and 

*  D.  De  Vinne,  in  The  Metliodist,  vol.  xvi,  p.  257. 
f  That  in  Willett  Street.    See  p.  297. 


Rain  on  the  Mown  Grass.  245 

Hedding  were  both  present.*  The  report  was  2,867 
whites  and  63  colored,  a  total  of  2,930,  showing  a  gain 
of  307.  Under  the  same  presiding  elder,  L.  Clark,  the 
city  Avas  to  be  served  by  H.  Stead,  W.  Jewett,  J. Youngs, 
N.  White,  R.  Seney,  J.  Field,  and  H.  Chase  at  the 
Mariners'  Cluirch.f  Three  of  these  were  new  men  in 
the  city  work. 

Nicholas  White  Avas  born  in  Middletown,  Vt.,  June 
8,  1786,  joined  the  Church  in  1810,  and  entered  the 
New  York  Conference  in  1813.  He  rendered  nearly 
forty  years  of  effective  service,  six  of  which  were  spent 
in  New  York,  four  in  Brooklyn,  and  nine  as  presiding 
elder.  Twice  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  General  Con- 
ference. In  1854  he  superannuated.  He  was  a  good 
man  and  a  faithful  and  successful  minister  of  Christ. 
He  died  in  Brooklyn,  February  14,  1861. 

Robert  Seney  was  born  October  12,  1797,  graduated 
at  Columbia  College,  New  York,  in  1817,  and  soon  aft- 
erward united  with  the  Church.  In  1820  he  was  re- 
ceived on  trial  in  the  Conference,  and  'for  thirty  years 
was  in  active  service.  Besides  these  two  years,  begin- 
ning with  1826,  he  labored  five  years  in  New  York 
and  five  in  Brooklyn.  In  1852  he  became  supernumer- 
ary, and  died  of  paralysis,  in  Brooklyn,  July,  1854.  To 
his  son,  George  I.  Seney,  Esq.,  the  Church  owes  the  in- 
itiation and  a  large  share  of  the  endowment  of  the 
Methodist  Hospital  in  Brooklyn. 

"  For  some  years  one  of  the  most  venerable  figures 
on  the  floor  of  the  New  York  East  Conference  was 
that  of  the  Rev.  Julius  Field.  With  a  form  tall  and 
singularly  straight,  with  strongly  marked  features,  and 

*  Clark's  Life  of  Hedding,  p.  326. 

f  Their  residences  were,  Youngs,  211  Bowery;  "White,  216  Diiane 
Street;  Seuey  and  Field,  130  Allen;  Chase,  137  Cherry;  and  Clark, 
rear  of  81  Amos  Street. 


246  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

with  a  tender  yet  resonant  voice,  he  attracted  attention 
wlienever  he  souglit  the  floor.  To  the  last  he  was  heard 
with  a  reverent  silence  due  to  his  pure  charactei-,  his  long 
service,  and  his  many  years."  He  was  born  April  2, 
1799,  and  entered  the  itinerancy  in  1821.  In  1839  he 
was  transferred  to  tlie  Wisconsin  Confei'ence,  but  re- 
turned in  1846.  His  active  service  covered  a  period  of 
about  forty  years,  four  of  which  were  in  New  York 
city  and  four  in  Brooklyn.  "As  a  preacher  he  was 
eminently  scriptural.  Few  men  have  equaled  him 
in  the  power  of  apt  and  exact  Scripture  quotations." 
He  was  also  a  faithful  pastor.  After  some  years  of 
gradual  mental  decay  he  died  September  22,  1884,  in 
his  eighty-sixth  year.* 

*Xew  York  East  Conference  Minutes,  1885. 


Gkeat  Sheavks — The  Allex  Street  Revival.  247 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

GRKAT    SHEAVES— THK    ALLEN  STREET  REVIVAL— CON- 
FERENCES  OF  1S27  TO  1829. 

At  the  annual  election  in  March,  182'?,  Gilbert  Cou- 
tant,  Abraham  Russel,  and  Nathaniel  Jarvis  were  chosen 
trustees  for  three  years,  and  Samuel  B,  Harper  for  one 
year.  The  debt  at  that  time  was  136,441 — an  increase 
of  more  than  14,500  during  the  year. 

The  Conference  of  1827  met  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  on  May 
9.  Bishop  George  presided,  and  Bishop  Hedding  was 
present.  The  membership  in  New  York  was  3,219 
white  and  70  colored;  total  3,289— a  gain  of  359.  The 
appointments  were  T.  Burch,  N.  White,  R.  Seney,  J.  J. 
Matthias,  N.  Levings,  and  J.  Field.  H.  Chase  remained 
at  the  Mariners'  Church,  and  L.  Clark  continued  as  pre- 
siding elder.*  Again  Ave  have  three  new  names,  all  of 
which  are  held  in  honorable  remembrance. 

Thomas  Burch  was  born  in  Ireland,  August  30,  1778, 
and  was  awakened  in  1801,  under  the  preaching  of 
Gideon  Ouseley,  the  celebrated  Irish  missionary.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1803,  and  in  1809  was  ad- 
mitted on  trial  in  the  Philadelphia  Conference.  In  that 
and  the  Genesee  and  Baltimore  Conferences  his  time 
was  spent  until  1825,  when  he  was  appointed  to  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y.  He  was  again  in  New  York  in  1841,  and 
some  twenty  years  were  also  spent  in  other  cities.  He 
died  suddenly  from  an   affection   of  the  heart,  August 

*  The  resideuces  were,   Burch,   12   Forsyth  Street;    White,   216 
Duane;  Seney,  130  Allen ;  Matthias,  59  Gold;  Levings,  G9  Bedford; 
Field,  130  Allen. 
17 


248  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

22,  1849.  As  a  preacher  be  held  a  high  rank.  His 
sermons  were  marked  with  a  charming  simplicity,  but 
were  solid,  well  arranged,  and  admirably  expressed. 
His  son.  Rev.  Thomas  H.  Biirch,  is  a  prominent  member 
of  the  New  York  East  Conference.* 

Noah  Levings  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshii-e,  born 
September  29,  1796.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  blacksmith  in  Troy,  N,  Y.,  and  here  he 
united  with  the  Church  in  1813.  He  entered  the  Con- 
ference in  1818,  and  soon  became  very  popular.  Up  to 
the  time  of  his  appointment  to  New  York  city  he  had 
been  in  various  charges  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
State,  and  in  Vermont,  but  from  that  period  onward 
he  labored  continuously  in  prominent  cities  until,  in  1844, 
he  succeeded  Rev.  E.  S.  Janes,  then  recently  elected 
bishop,  as  financial  secretary  of  the  American  Bible 
Society.  He  died  at  Cincinnati,  January  9,  1849,  after  a 
short  illness.  He  was  a  superior  preacher;  his  sermons 
contained  good  thoughts  well  arranged  and  were  Avtll 
delivered.      He  was  also  very  successful  on  the  platform. 

On  the  last  page  of  an  old  book  in  manuscript,  con- 
taining the  earliest  records  of  baptisms  and  marriages  of 
the  Church  in  New  York  city,f  and  also  the  earliest 
list  of  members  that  has  come  down  to  us,  we  find, 
among  those  received  September  5,  1*790,  the  name  of 
Barnet  Matthias.  This  was  John  B.  Matthias,  known 
for  some  fifty  years  as  a  successful  minister  of  Christ. 
In  the  same  book,  under  date  of  December  15  of  tlio 
same  year  we  have  a  record  of  his  marriage  to  Sarah 
Jarvis.  John  Jarvis  Matthias,  a  son  of  this  marriage, 
born  in  New  York,  January  7,  179G,  is  one  of  the  three 
preachers  appointed  to  the  city  this  year.  He  entered 
the  work  in  1817,  and  spent  ten  years  in  various  distant 

*  Annual  Minutes ;  S^prague^B  Annals ;  Warriner's  Old  Sands  Street. 
f  Eook  i,  A.     See  pre.'acc,  p.  v. 


Great  Sheaves — The  Allen  Street  Revival.  249 

cliarges,  but  from  1827  onward  his  appointments  were, 
almost  without  exception,  to  positions  in  prominent 
places;  seven  years  were  spent  in  the  eldership.  Li 
1837  he  was  appointed  governor  of  Bassa  Cove,  Africa 
— a  post  which  he  tilled  with  ability.  His  first  wife 
died  there  of  the  African  fever,  and  he  barely  escaped. 
From  1855  to  1858  he  was  chaplain  to  the  Seamen's 
Retreat,  Staten  Island.  He  died  at  Tarrytown,  N.  Y., 
September  25,  1861.* 

On  Friday,  August  17,  1327,  Freeborn  Garrettson 
U>ft  his  home  for  New  York,  expecting  to  return  the 
following  week.  On  Sunday,  the  19th,  he  preached  his 
last  sermon  in  the  Duane  Street  Church,  on  the  words, 
"  Grow  in  grace,"  and  administered  the  Lord's  Supper  to 
a  large  company,  A  divine  unction  attended  the  word, 
wliich  was  delivered  with  unusual  warmth  and  energy. 
Soon  after  he  was  taken  ill,  and  on  September  26,  in  the 
seventy-sixth  year  of  his  age,  he  died  at  the  house  of 
his  long-tried  friend  George  Suckley.f 

In  the  latter  part  of  January  1828,  Bishop  George 
arrived  in  the  city  and  spent  the  time  until  April  in 
visiting  the  societies  and  preaching  in  New  York  and 
Brooklyn. J  He  also  presided  at  the  Conference  held  in 
Forsyth  Street  Church  on  June  25,  Bishop  Hedding 
assisting.  Then  these  two  chief  pastors  parted,  to  meet 
no  more  on  earth,  Bishop  George  dying  on  the  23d  of 
August  of  this  year.  §  Bishop  George  preached  at  the 
(h-eenwich  Church  and  ordained  the  deacons,  and  Bishop 
Hedding  at  Duane  Street  and  ordained  the  elders,  f 

*  Annual  Minutes;  Warriaer's  Old  Sands  Street.  The  ficcouuts  of 
the  board  of  stewards  from  the  Conference  of  1827  to  tliat  of  18:^1 
are  still  extant.     Some  extracts  will  be  found  in  Appendix  R. 

\Life  of  Garrettson,  p.  277.         X  Methodist  Magazine,  vol.  xii,  p.  419. 

§  Clark's  Life  of  Redding,  pp.  359,  361. 

11  Christian  Advocate,  vol-,  ii,  p.  1T4. 


250  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

The  year  was  one  of  spiritual  prosperity.  At  a 
prayer-meeting  at  Allen  Street  shortly  after  the  camp- 
meeting  of  1827,  more  than  2,000  persons  were  present, 
and  at  a  love-least  at  Greenwich  the  house  was  filled. 
The  venerable  Ezekiel  Cooper  closed  this  last  service  with 
an  address  and  prayer.'''  These  seemed  to  have  been 
premonitions  of  the  great  revival  that  soon  followed. 

In  March,  1S28,  James  Donaldson,  Samuel  B.  Har- 
per, and  Andrew  C.  Wheeler  were  elected  trustees. 
The  debt  was  about  $32,500,  having  increased  nearly 
$4,000.  t 

The  statistics  of  1828  were  3,410  whites  and  67  col- 
ored; total  3,477 — an  increase  of  188.  The  GenCTal  Con- 
ference of  1828  had  appointed  J.  Emory  and  B.  Waugh 
book  agents  and  N.  Bangs  editor.  D.  Ostrander  be- 
came pi-esiding  elder,  and  the  preachers  were  T.  Burch, 
C.  Carpenter,  J.  Hunt,  J.  J.  jNlatthias,  N.  Levings,  and 
G.  Coles.  H.  Chase  remained  at  the  Mariners'  Church.  J 
Again  we  have  three  new  men  in  the  city  pastorate. 

Coles  Carpenter  was  born  in  Westchester  County, 
N.  Y.,  March  17,  1784,  of  Methodist  parents.  Converted 
at  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  was  soon  licensed  to  preach, 
and  in  1809  entered  the  work  in  the  New  York  Con- 
ference. After  his  term  in  the  city  he  was  appointed  to 
Schenectady,  and  in  1833  became  presiding  elder  of  the 
Troy  District,    He  entered  on  his  work  with  every  pros- 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  ii,  p.  6. 

\  Trustees'  minutes.  On  April  11  the  ladies  of  the  John  Street 
Churcli  formed  a  Dorcas  Society,  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  food, 
clothing,  etc.,  to  the  Indian  schools  under  the  care  of  the  Missionary- 
Society. 

X  The  residences  were,  Hunt,  32  Pitt  Street;  Matthias,  59  Gold; 
Coles,  216  Duane.  Levings  is  set  down  in  the  Directory  at  Brool\lyn. 
Carpenter,  whose  name  is  not  in  that  book,  lived  in  Allen  Street,  and 
Burch,  also  not  mentioned  there,  probably  remained  at  12  Forsyth. 
Ostrander  was  at  81  Amos  Street. 


Gkeat  Sheaves — The  Allen  Street  Revival.  251 

jDect  of  success,  but  on  February  17,  1834,  died  at  Cam- 
bridge, lie  was  a  man  of  pleasing  appearance  and  win- 
ning manner,  an  excellent  pastor,  and  a  good  preacher. 
But  he  was  especially  powerful  in  exhortation.  Rev.  S. 
Luckey,  D.D.,  says:  "  In  direct  appeal  to  the  heart  and 
conscience,  and  in  a  sustained  course  of  hortatory  re- 
marks, I  am  not  aware  that  I  have  ever  niet  his  superior. 
There  was  the  greatest  appropriateness  of  thought,  and 
sometimes  even  sublimity  of  language."  * 

Jesse  Hunt's  birth-place  was  Mamaroneck,  Westches- 
ter County,  K  Y.;  the  time  July  22,  1TS7.  He  Avas 
converted  in  New  York,  joined  the  society  in  John 
Street,  May  22,  1803,  and  entered  the  itinerancy  in  1  811. 
He  filled  a  number  of  respectable  appointments,  and  for 
four  years  was  presiding  elder.  He  died  November  5, 
1848.     He  was  a  modest,  faithful,  and  useful  man. 

The  name  of  George  Coles  will  live  long  in  the  mem- 
ory of  New  York  Methodists  and  of  the  Church  at 
large.  Born  in  Stewkley,  England,  June  2,  1792,  he 
was  converted  at  the  age  of  twelve,  and  at  twenty-two 
was  licensed  as  a  local  preacher.  In  1818  he  came  to 
America,  and  was  immediately  employed  under  the  pre- 
siding elder  and  admitted  on  trial  at  the  Conference  of 
1819.  He  soon  occupied  prominent  and  responsible 
positions.  In  1837  he  became  assistant  editor  of  Tlie 
Christian  Advocate,  and  the  fact  that  he  remained  in 
that  office  eleven  years  is  itself  sufficient  testimony  of  his 
success.  The  earlier  numbers  of  the  Sunday- School 
Advocate  were  edited  by  him,  and  he  did  much  useful 
work  in  other  lines  of  Sunday-school  literature.  A 
simple-hearted,  sincere,  amiable  Christian  gentleman, 
original  and  persuasive  in  his  preacliing,  lie  Avas  beloved 
by  all.  He  took  great  interest  in  sacred  music,  and  com- 
posed several  tunes,  among  them  "  Greene  Street " 
*  Sprague's  Annuls. 


252  A  ITisTORV  OF  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

and  "  Duane  Street."  He  died  in  New  York,  May  1, 
1858.  One  of  his  daughters  was  the  wife  of  Re\'.  George 
Woodruff,  D.D.,  late  of  the  New  York  East  Conference, 
and  anotlier  is  the  widow  of  Bisliop  E.  O.  Haven.* 

As  far  as  can  be  ascertained  it  was  under  the  labors  of 
these  men  and  their  colleagues  that  there  appeared  de- 
cided indications  of  that  great  reA'ival  which  seemed  to 
have  its  center  in  Allen  Street,  but  was  felt  throughout 
all  the  Methodist  Churches  in  the  city.  There  is  confu- 
sion in  dates  as  tradition  has  transmitted  them,  but  of 
the  general  facts  there  is  no  doubt. 

From  an  editorial  in  Tlie  Christian  Advocate  of  Sep- 
tember 19,  1828,  we  learn  that  during  the  jjreceding 
three  weeks  there  had  been  unusual  interest  in  the 
Churches  in  the  city,  principally  under  the  preaching  of 
Rev.  J.  N.  Maffitt.f  Meetings  were  held  every  day  of 
the  week,  sometimes  twice  a  day.     At  a  prayer-meeting 

*  During  the  term  of  Mr.  Coles's  service  some  of  t]ie  bretlircn  of  the 
Duaue  Street  congregation  had  fallen  into  the  practice  of  loitering  about 
the  church  doors  until  the  singing  of  the  second  liymn.  This  was 
of  course  a  trial  to  him,  and  one  Sunday  afternoon  he  gave  out  the 
first  hymn,  which  was  sung,  and  then,  after  the  opening  prayer,  an- 
nounced his  text,  omitting  the  second  hymn,  and  preaclicd,  as  he 
usually  did,  a  short  sermon.  The  brethren  outside  supposed  he  was 
still  at  prayer,  and  when,  during  the  singing  of  the  closing  l^'mn, 
they  marched  in,  they  were  soon  astonished  to  hear  the  benediction 
pronounced. — Letter  of  W.  B.  Worrall. 

f  John  iSTewland  Maffitt  was  born  in  Dublin,  Ireland,  December  28, 
1794:,  and  joined  the  Methodists  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  He  came  to 
this  country  in  1819,  and  in  1822  was  received  on  trial  in  the  New 
England  Conference.  His  appointments  were  all  in  that  Conference 
until  he  located,  in  1832,  and  from  that  time  ho  was  engaged  chiefly 
in  revival  services,  though  holding  positions  as  editor,  agent  and 
professor  at  La  Grange  College,  and  chaplain  to  the  national  House 
of  Representatives.  In  his  prime  he  was  a  man  of  unusual  power  in 
the  pulpit,  having  a  pleasant  voice  and  a  graceful  delivery.  But 
during  the  latter  part  of  his  life  many  lost  confidence  in  him.  Ho 
died  at  Mobile,  May,  1850,  in  his  fifty-sixth  year. — Spragut's  Annals. 


Great  Sukaves— The  Allen  Street  Revival.   253 

on  Monday  evening,  September  8,  at  Allen  Street,  the 
house  was  crowded.  Not  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
persons  were  at  the  altar,  of  whom  thirty-four  professed 
conversion.  On  the  following  Saturday  evening  at  a 
meeting  in  Forsyth  Street  there  were  nearly  two  hundred 
at  the  altar,  of  whom  twenty  were  converted.  These 
meetings  were  attended  with  no  extravagances,  but  were 
marked  with  deep  solemnity  and  much  weeping.  In 
February,  1S30,  the  preachers  reported  that  more  than 
three  hundred  had  been  received  on  probation  since  the 
preceding  Conference,  the  most  of  them  during  the  last 
three  weeks.  What  were  called  four-days  meetings  were 
held  in  the  different  churches.  Beginning  on  Tuesday 
morning  there  was  preaching  three  times  a  day  for  four 
days,  and  prayer-meetings  in  the  intervals,  generally 
kept  up  without  intermission,  the  brethren  relieving 
each  other  when  a  short  season  for  rest  and  refreshment 
was  necessary.  Notices  of  these  meetings  and  their  re- 
sults will  be  found  in  the  columns  of  The  Christian  Ad- 
vocate from  time  to  time.  In  February,  1832,  we  are 
told  that  between  seven  and  eight  hundred  had  been 
received  on  probation  since  the  last  Conference.* 

During  the  progress  of  this  work  a  number  of  remark- 
able sermons  were  preached,  and  many  interesting  inci- 
dents occurred.  Some  time  in  January,  1831,  Rev.  Dr. 
Fisk  preached  on  Isa.  xii,  1 :  "  O  Lord,  I  will  praise  thee: 
though  thou  wast  angry  with  me,"  etc.  The  sermon 
produced  a  great  impression.  He  preached  again  on  the 
following  Wednesday  evening.  The  Rev.  Dr.  N.  Bangs 
and  Rev.  E.  T.  Taylor,  of  Boston,  were  with  him  in  the 
pulpit.  He  opened  the  services  with  the  first  hymn, 
"0  for  a  tliousaiid  tonpjues,  to  sintr,"  etc. 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  vi,  p.  90.  Dr.  FI03'  says  that  over  twelve 
hundred  were  converted,  and  more  than  one  thousand  added  to  the 
Church. —  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxxv,  p.  7. 


254  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

During  the  reading  many  were  in  tears.*  Dr.  Bangs 
followed  with  an  earnest  prayer  for  the  outpouring  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  In  the  midst  of  almost  breathless  and 
impressive  silence  Dr.  Fisk  announced  as  his  text 
1  Thess.  V,  19:  "Quench  not  the  Spirit."  His  first 
utterances  were  heart-searching  and  effective,  and  fixed 
the  attention  of  his  hearers.  A  clear  and  forcible  argu- 
ment followed  and  prepared  the  way  for  an  application. 
As  he  drew  to  a  close  his  words  appeared  unearthly. 
His  manner  was  calm,  liis  voice  not  loud,  his  gestures 
few.  Suppressed  sighs  and  groans  were  heard  in  every 
direction,  and  at  length,  without  any  invitation,  uncon- 
verted persons,  with  loud  cries  and  Aveeping,  began  to 
move  to  the  altar,  which  was  soon  more  than  filled.  The 
preacher  continued  his  discourse,  increasing  in  power 
and  pathos  until  his  voice  was  almost  drowned  in  the 
cries  of  the  seekers.  Finally  he  paused,  and,  lifting  up 
his  eyes  and  hands,  said  solemidy,  "•  When  God  begins 
to  speak  it  is  time  for  me  to  stop."  He  sat  down, 
and  in  an  instant  Samuel  Halsted  was  on  his  feet  and 
burst  forth  singing  in  loud  tones,  "Come,  ye  sinners, 
poor  and  needy,"  etc.,  the  people  joining  heartily.  There 
was  no  more  room  at  the  altar,  and  a  preacher  (Rev.  H. 
Bangs,  it  is  thought)  suggested  that  a  prayer-meeting 
be  held  in  the  gallery.  One  Avas  started  in  the  singers' 
seats,  and  then  another  near  the  door  on  the  main  floor. 
These  three  meetings  did  not  seem  to  interfere  Avith 
one  another.  Shouts  of  praise  were  soon  mingled  Avith 
cries  for  pardon,  and  it  was  estimated  that  tAvo  hundred 
were  converted  on  that  evening. 

One  Sunday  morning  Rev.  S.  Merwin,  preaching  on 
John  viii,  12,  "I  am  the  light  of  the  Avorkl,"  appeared 

*  This  statement  is  jjiven  as  received  ;  but  the  livmn  seems  so  much 
more  appropriate  to  the  subject  of  the  former  sermon  as  to  suggest 
the  question  v^rhelher  our  informant  may  not  be  in  error. 


Great  Sheaves — The  Allen  Street  Revival,  255 

to  be  inspired.  Ilis  congregatioi\  was  greatly  moved, 
and  lie  closed  in  an  outburst  of  rapture  and  sank  btick 
apparently  exhausted.*  D,  Ostrander  also,  on  another 
Lord's  day  morning,  delivered  a  memorable  discourse 
on  the  need  of  an  atonement,  founded  on  Isa.  liii,  7-10. 

On  another  Sabbath  morning  Kev.  S.  Merwin  entered 
the  church  followed  by  a  stranger  of  prepossessing  ap- 
pearance. But  in  reading  the  hymn  and  first  Scripture 
lesson  there  was  considerable  apparent  hesitation,  and  a 
disagreeable  twang  in  his  voice,  and  his  congregation  did 
not  seem  to  be  favorably  impressed.  His  prayer,  how- 
ever, tliough  marred  by  the  same  defects,  abounded  in 
rich  thought  and  melting  pathos.  His  text  was  the 
Song  of  Solomon  iii,  2-4.  As  he  proceeded  his  manner 
changed,  he  suddenly  seemed  to  grasp  a  great  thought, 
and  in  a  moment  he  was  another  man.  The  disagree- 
able twang  disappeared,  his  voice  rose,  his  eyes  glowed, 
and  his  gestures  were  easy  and  natural.  For  nearly  an 
hour  he  held  his  hearers  enchained,  and  closed  with  an 
address  to  young  Christians  in  which  he  referred  to  his 
own  experience  and  the  teaching  and  example  of  a  godly 
grandfather.  No  one  who  remembers  Rev.  John  P. 
Durbin  will  need  to  be  told  that  he  was  the  i)reacher. 
Another  remarkable  discourse  was  preached  on  a  Sun- 
day afternoon  by  Rev.  B,  Goodsell  on  blowing  the 
rams'  horns  around  Jericho.  By  his  power  of  vivid  de- 
scription the  people  were  wrought  up  to  a  great  pitch 
of  excitement  and  at  length  burst  forth  in  loud  shouts,  f 

At   another  time,  the  preacher  who  was  to  occupy 

*  There  is  also  a  tradition  of  a  prayer  of  unusual  power  offered  by 
Mr.  Merwin  at  tho  opening  of  a  Sunday  morning  service.  Some  say 
that  the  revival  began  under  its  inHnence. 

f  Most  of  the  above  incidents  are  from  a  letter  of  the  late  Rov.  Will- 
iam M.  Chipp,  of  the  New  York  Conference.  Mr.  Chipp  was  one  of 
the  subjects  of  the  revival. 


256  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

the  pulpit  being  unable  to  do  so,  Rev.  Heman  Bangs 
gave  a  very  effective  sermon  on  Luke  x,  18,  "I  beheld 
Satan  as  lightning  fall  from  heaven."*  One  Sunday 
morning  Lewis  Pease  preached  with  great  power  on  Lsa. 
Ix,  1,  "Arise,  shine;  for  thy  light  is  come,  and  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  is  risen  upon  thee."  When  the  meet- 
ings had  continued  some  months  and  the  interest  was 
apparently  decreasing  S.  Luckey  preached  an  effective 
discourse  on  Neh.  vi,  3,  "  Why  should  the  work  cease  ?" 
a  sermon  which  kindled  the  fire  anew,  f 

One  evening  a  lady  came  to  the  altar  in  great  distress. 
Her  husband,  hearing  of  it  the  next  day,  resolved  to  put 
a  stop  to  it.  He  took  his  seat  in  the  gallery,  and,  see- 
ing her  go  forward,  came  down-stairs  in  great  anger, 
w^alked  rapidly  up  the  aisle,  and  when  wdthin  a  few  feet 
of  the  altar  fell  prostrate  on  the  floor  and  cried  for 
mercy.  Some  of  the  brethren  knew  him  and  gathered 
round  him,  and  his  wife,  recognizing  his  voice,  was  soon 
at  his  side.  They  w^ere  both  soon  converted,  and  Jon- 
athan Purdy  became  an  active  member  of  the  Church. 

At  that  time  there  were  many  slaughter-houses  and 
rope- walks  in  the  neighborhood,  and  a  large  number  of 
butchers  and  rope-makers,  regarded  as  among  the  hard- 
est classes  of  society,  were  converted.  Many  of  the 
converts,  however,  were  young  men  of  education  and 
talent,  some  of  whom  became  ministers  of  Christ.  The 
list  includes  such  names  as  John  McClintock,  Robert 
Emory  (son  of  the  subsequent  Bishop  Emory),  James 
Floy,  Elijah  Crawford,  William  M.  Chipp,  Charles  C. 
Keys,  Samuel  W.  King,  Charles  B.  Davis. 

At  their  meeting  on  June  4,  1828,  the  trustees  voted  to 
enlarge  the  lecture-room  of  the  Greenwich  Church  at  an 
expense  of  about  $400.  The  death  of  Bishop  George  has 
already  been  referred  to.     At  the  trustees'  meeting  of 

*  The  late  Joseph  Sandford.         f  Letter  of  Rev.  E.  S.  Hebbard. 


Great  Sheaves — The  Allen  Street  Revival.   257 

October  21  it  was  proposed  to  put  the  churclies  in 
mourning  for  the  event,  but  "  they  were  unanimous  in 
(.l)inion  it  was  best  to  decline  the  proposition,  and 
tliouglit  it  best  to  discontinue  the  practice  to  put  our 
churches  in  mourning  on  account  of  our  deceased 
bretliren." 

On  tlie  4tli  of  February,  1829,  official  notice  was 
received  of  the  passage  of  an  act  by  the  State  Legisla- 
ture inci-easing  the  number  of  trustees  from  nine  to  fif- 
teen. At  the  election,  therefore,  in  the  following 
March,  Joseph  Smith,  John  Westfield,  and  John  Urmy 
were  chosen  in  the  old  course  for  three  years,  and  L.  S. 
Burling,  Andrew  L.  Halstead,  Daniel  Sutton,  William 
McLean,  Leonard  Regur,  and  James  B.  Oakley  were 
elected  as  the  additional  six.*  Tlie  debt  at  this  time 
was  more  than  $36,200,  having  increased  during  the  last 
year  more  tlian  $3,700.  At  their  meeting  of  April  8, 
1829,  the  trustees  appointed  a  committee  to  inquire 
concerning  a  church  at  M:inhattan  Island  which  was  to 
let.  This  was  the  first  official  action  towai'd  what  is 
now  the  Second  Street  Church.  At  the  next  meeting 
the  committee  reported  that  the  building  would  not 
answer. 

*Tlie  object  of  this  increase  seems  to  have  been  to  give  to  eacli 
cliurcli  at  least  two  representatives  in  the  board.  These  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  of  repairs  to  the  church  wliere  they  attended, 
and  one  of  them  was  the  trustees'  steward,  to  receive  the  ordinary 
collections.  The  following  list  will  show  how  they  were  distributed 
this  year,  the  first  name  in  each  cuse  being  that  of  the  trustees'  stew- 
ard :  John  Street,  Samuel  B.  Harper,  Joseph  Smith ;  Forsyth  Street, 
James  Donaldson,  L.  S.  BurHng;  Willelt  Street,  John  Urmy,  Daniel 
Sutton;  Allen  Street,  Andrew  L.  H.ilstead,  Andrew  C.  Wheeler; 
Bowery,  Gilbert  Coutant,  Leonard  Regur;  Greenwicii,  Nathaniel 
Jarvis,  TV.  McLean  ;  Duane  Street,  Abraham  Russel,  Jumes  B.  Oak- 
ley. John  Weslfield,  who  was  not  on  any  of  these  committees,  was 
cliairman  of  the  committee  for  the  burying-ground. 


258  A  History  of  Methodism  in  Xevv  Yoiik  City. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  FIKLD  DIVIDED— C0XFERENCE3  OF  1829  TO  1832. 

The  Conference  of  1829  met  on  May  13  at  Troy, 
N.  Y.,  Bishop  Roberts  presiding,  assisted  by  Bishop 
Hedding.  The  city,  as  well  as  the  Conference  gener- 
ally, reported  a  good  increase.  The  number  in  the  city 
was  3,783  whites,  56  colored  ;  total,  3,839 — a  gain  of 
362.  Book  agents,  editor,  and  presiding  elder  were  not 
changed.  The  preachers  were  S.  Luckey,  C.  Carpenter, 
J.  Hunt,  H.  Bangs,  G.  Coles,  S.  D.  Ferguson.  Of  these 
the  first  and  the  last  are  the  only  new  names.* 

Samuel  Luckey  was  born  in  Rensselaerville,  X.  Y., 
April  4,  1791,  and  converted  before  he  was  fifteen  years 
old.  He  joined  the  Xew  York  Conference  in  1811.  He 
had  already  occupied  responsible  positions  before  his  ap- 
pointment to  the  city,  and  afterward  as  presiding  elder, 
principal  of  Genesee  Wesleyan  Seminary,  and  editor  of 
The  Christian  Advocate  he  did  good  service.  He  died 
October  11,  1869.  He  was  a  very  able  and  laborious 
minister  of  the  word. 

Samuel  D.  Ferguson  was  born  in  the  city  of  New 
York  in  1798,  and  died  there  December  30,  1855.  He 
was  converted  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  and  entered  the 
itinerancy  in  1819.  As  preacher,  pastor,  and  presiding 
elder  he  did  faithful  and  successful  work,  and  exhibited 
much  skill  and  tact  in  developing  the  resources  of  a 
charge.    He  was  delegate  to  three  General  Conferences. 

*  The  Directory  gives  their  residences  as  follows :  Luckey,  1 2  For- 
sytli  Street;  Coles,  216  Duane  Street;  Bangs,  59  Gold  Street;  Fergu- 
son, 69  Bedford  Street. 


The  Fieij)  Divided.  259 

In  1844,  hi^  health  having  become  impaired,  he  became 
superintendent  of  the  Leake  and  Watts  Orphan  House 
in  New  York  city,  wliich  position  he  hehl  four  years. 
Afterward  lie  conducted  a  boarding-school  at  Fergu- 
sonville  in  the  valley  of  the  Charlotte  River.* 

*  Iiiventoiy  of  the  property  of  the  Church  approved  by  the  trustees 
August  5,  1829,  and  ordered  to  be  reported  to  the  city  recorder: 

PR  iPEHTY    BELONGING   TO    THE    METilODIST   EPISCOPAL    CHURCH    IX    THK 
CITY   OF   NEW    YORK,   WITH    THE    AMOUNT   OF   ANNUAL   INCOME. 

Four  lots  of  ground  in  Jolin  Street,  on  -which  is  a  churcli  and 

a  dwelling-house.     The  dwelling-iionse  rents  for $600 

p]ight  lots  of  ground  between  Forsyth  and  Eldridgc  Street?, 
fronting  on  both  streets.  On  this  ground  tlierc  is  a  church 
and  a  dwelling-house  occupied  by  the  minister.  There  are 
also  three  other  buildings,  which,  including  the  cellar  of 
the  church,  rent  for  $315.  On  this  ground  there  is  an 
engine-house,  erected  by  the  Corporation,  for  which  until  the 
present  year  no  remuneration  has  been  received.  In  future 
an  annual  rent  of  $50  is  to  be  paid.  Part  of  the  ground  is 
also  leased  out  at  an  annual  rent  of  $10,  making  altogether 
the  sum  of 495 

Two  lots  on  lease  in  Forsyth  Street,  on  which  is  the  free  school 
and  the  teacher's  residence. 

Four  lots  on  lease  in  Nicholas  "U''illiani  Street,  on  wliich  is  a 
cliurch,  an  academj',  and  another  building.  The  buildings 
rent  for 143 

Four  lots  in  Duaiie  Street,  on  which  is  a  church,  a  dwelling- 
house  for  the  minister,  and  a  house  occupied  by  the  sexton ; 
the  rent  of  the  latter  is 100 

Eight  lots  on  tiie  Second  Avenue,  corner  of  First  Street,  used 
as  a  burying-ground.  On  this  ground  there  is  a  dwelling- 
liouse,  which  rents  for 1^0 

Four  lots  in  Allen  Street,  on  which  is  a  church,  a  house  occu- 
pied by  the  minister,  and  a  house  in  which  the  sexton  re- 
sides. The  rent  of  the  latter  is  $100.  The  cellar  of  the 
church  is  rented  for  $50,  and  a  piece  of  ground  in  the  rear 
is  leased  for  $15,  making  altogether 163 

Five  lots  at  Greenwich,  on  which  is  a  church. 

Foiu-  lots  in  "Willett  Street,  on  which  is  a  churcl:.  

Total  of  revenue $1,052 


2G0  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

On  November  4,  1829,  the  trustees  authoi-izecl  a  com- 
mittee to  hire  a  school-room  for  public  worship  in 
upper  Green wicli.  In  March,  1830,  Abraham  Russel, 
Gilbert  Coutant,  Nathaniel  Jarvis,  Thomas  Truslow,  and 
Joseph  Johnson  were  elected  trustees.  The  debt  was 
about  S34,700,  having  been  reduced  about  $1,500. 

The  Conference  for  1830  met  at  Forsyth  Street,  New 
York,  May  6,  Bishop  Iledding  presiding.  The  report 
was  3,886  whites,  G9  colored;  in  all  3, 955 — an  increase  of 
116.  D.  Ostrandcr  remained  as  presiding  elder,  and  the 
preachers  were,  S.  Luckey,  S.  Merwin,  L.  Pease,  S.  Mar- 
tindale,  B.  Goodsell,  II.  Bangs,  S.  D.  Ferguson.  The 
Harlem  Mission  also  now  first  appears  in  the  Minutes. 
It  included  all  Manhattan  Island  north  of  about  Twenty- 
third  Street.     Ira  Ferris  was  the  preacher.* 

Lewis  Pease,  who  came  to  the  city  this  year,  was  horn 
in  Canaan,  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  August  7, 1786,  was 
converted  in  1805,  licensed  to  preach  in  1806,  and  en- 
tered the  traveling  work  in  1807.  lie  had  already  been 
stationed  i:i  Albany,  Brooklyn,  Hartford,  and  Philadel- 
phia, and  had  served  two  years  as  presiding  elder.  His 
health  was  feeble,  and  he  never  did  effective  work  after 
the  close  of  his  term  in  New  York  cit}".  For  a  time  he 
was  chaplain  to  the  City  Hospital.  He  died  Septem- 
ber 5,  1853,  aged  fifty-seven.  He  was  a  very  impress- 
ive and  jiathetio  preacher,  and  had  great  power  as  an 
exhorter.f 

Buel  Goodsell  was  born  at  Dover,  Dutchess  County, 
N.  Y.,  July  25, 1 793,  Avas  converted  at  the  age  of  sixteen, 
and  received  on  trial  at  the  New  York  Conference  of 
1814.     Ilis  labors  before  coming  to  the  city  had  been 

*  Their  liomes,  as  far  as  we  can  ascerta'n,  were,  Luckey  and  Mer- 
win, 12  Forsyth  Street;  Pease,  176  Duane;  Martindale,  Bowery, 
near  Vauxhall ;  Goodsell,  8  Willett  Street ;  Banprs,  43  John. 

f  Spraguc's  J.5?wafe;  Warriner's  Old  Sands  Street. 


Thic  Field  Divided.  261 

mainly  within  the  bounds  of  wliat  is  now  the  Troy  Con- 
ference. In  1838-9  he  was  at  John  Street,  New  York, 
and  in  1846-7  at  Willett  Street.  Eight  years  were  spent 
in  the  eldership,  and  twice  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Gen- 
eral Conference.  He  died  in  Brooklyn,  May  4,  1863, 
after  an  uninterrupted  effective  service  of  nearly  fifty 
years.  lie  was  faithful  and  successful,  and  especially 
excelled  in  exhortation  and  prayer.  Bishop  D.  A.  Good- 
sell  and  Rev.  George  H.  Goodsell,  of  the  New  York 
East  Conference,  are  worthy  sons  of  so  excellent  a 
father. 

Ira  Ferris,  who  came  to  the  Harlem  Mission,  was  born 
in  Roxbury,  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  Juiy  6,  1804,  and 
was  converted  in  the  fall  of  1818.  He  began  his  ministry 
in  1824,  and  continued  in  the  active  work  without  inter- 
ruption for  forty  years.  In  1865  he  became  supernumer- 
ary, in  1868  superannuated,  and  died  at  New  Hamburg, 
N.  Y.,  March  12,  1869.  He  was  an  able  minister,  labor- 
ing cheerfully  and  successfully  in  some  of  our  hardest 
fields.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Rev.  D.  Ostrander, 
and  a  son  of  his,  Rev.  D.  O.  Ferris,  has  held  responsi- 
ble positions  in  the  New  York  East  Conference.* 

The  revival  already  described  was  still  in.  progress. 
On  the  6th  of  February,  1831,  Broadway  Hall,  between 
Howai'd  and  Grand  Streets,  was  hired  and  opened  for 
worship,' and  it  is  said  four  persons  were  awakened  at  the 
first  services.f  This  was  the  l)eginning  of  the  Greene 
Street  charge,  now  the  Asbury  Church,  on  Washington 
Square.  • 

On  March  10,  1831,  Samuel  B.  Harper,  James  Donald- 
son, L.  S,  Burling,  A.  C.  Wheeler,  and  James  13.  Oakley 
were  elected  trustees.  The  debt  was  $37,657 — an  in- 
crease of  $2,950. 

*  History  of  St.  James  Church,  by  Rev.  W.  B.  Silber,  LL.D. 
•j-  Chrislian  Advocate,  vol.  v,  p.  98. 


262  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

The  proposed  universitj^  at  Middletown,  Conn.,  prob- 
ably led  to  the  selection  of  that  place  as  the  seat  ot  the 
Conference  of  1831.  It  met  on  May  4,  Bishop  Soule 
presiding,  Bishop  Hedding  being  also  present.*  The 
report  of  membersliip  was  4,889  whites  and  64  colored, 
and  66  whites  and  2  colored  on  the  Harlem  Mission  ; 
5,021  in  all — an  increase  of  1,066.  D.  Ostrander  was 
continued  as  presiding  elder,  and  S.  Merwin,  L.  Pease, 
S.  Martindale,  B.  Goodsell,  S.  Landon,  J.  Clark,  B.  Sil- 
lick,  and  C.  Prindle  were  the  preachei'S.  R.  Seaman 
was  appointed  to  the  Harlem  Mission.f 

Seymour  Landon  was  born  in  Grand  Isle,  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  Vt.,  May  3,  1798.  His  father,  Asahel  Landon,  was 
a  very  useful  local  preacher.  J  Seymour  was  converted 
under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  William  Ross,  received  on 
probation  in  the  church  in  1815,  and  the  same  day  ac- 
companied the  preacher  to  his  appointments.  On  the 
third  day  he  went  with  him  to  a  camp-meeting,  and  on 
the  way  his  pastor  told  him  that  he  believed  God  had 
called  him  to  preach.  He  was  licensed  to  exhort  with- 
out his  knowledge  or  consent,  and  soon  after  to  preach. 
In  1818,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  entered  the  New 
York  Conference  on  trial.  Fifty-five  years  of  effect- 
ive service  without  a  break  followed,  then  eight  years 
in  the  superannuated  ranks,  from  which  he  removed 
to  his  everlasting  rest  on  July  29,  1 880.  In  the  anti- 
slavery  struggle  he  was  one  of  the  honored  seventeen 
who  voted  at  the  New  York  Conference  of  1838  against 
the  censure  of  P.  R.  Brown  and  the  suspension  of  James 
Floy   for   attending   an    antislavery   convention.      He 

*  Clark's  Life  of  Hedding,  p.  385. 

fTlie  residences  will  be  found  in  an  aHsiracL  from  the  printed  plan 
of  the  appoiiilmeuts  for  1831-2,  Appendix  T. 

X  Stevens's  Memorials  of  Methodism  in  New  England,  Second  Series, 
p.  248. 


The  Field   Divided.  263 

was  a  man  of  prepossessing  appearance  and  graceful 
manners.  Notwithstanding  an  excessive — almost  raor- 
l,i,| — diffidence  or  self-depreciation,  and  occasional  fits 
of  desjiondency,  he  was  an  able  and  earnest  preacher,  and 
exceedingly  attractive  in  social  intercourse.  One  son, 
D.  S.  Landon,  M  D.,  died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  1874, 
aged  fifty-two,  and  another,  Rev.  Thompson  Landon, 
A.M.,  is  an  honored  member  of  the  Newark  Confer- 
ence,* and  principal  of  the  Military  Institute,  Borden- 
town,  N.  J. 

The  John  Clark  who  came  to  New  York  city  this 
year,  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  say,  was  a  different  man 
from  the  one  appointed  in  1795.  He  was  born  in 
Hartford,  Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  July  30,  1797,  of 
Baptist  parents,  converted  in  1817,  and  entered  Confer- 
ence on  trial  in  1820.  In  1832  he  offered  himself  as  a 
missionary  to  the  Indians  of  our  land,  and  was  appointed 
to  Green  Bay.  He  labored  in  that  region  until  1841, 
Avhen  he  went  to  Texas  ;  but,  having  voted  with  the 
North  at  the  General  Conference  of  1844,  the  Texas 
Conference  passed  a  resolution  disapproving  of  his 
course,  and  he  was  therefore  transferred  to  the  Troy 
Conference.  In  1852  he  went  to  the  Rock  River  Con- 
ference, and  was  appointed  to  Clark  Street  Station,  Chi- 
cago. He  died  of  cholera,  July  1 1, 1854,  aged  fifty-seven 
years.  He  was  well  adapted  to  the  missionary  work, 
devout,  laborious,  and  mighty  in  prayer.  Sometimes 
in  the  pulpit  he  was  remarkably  powerful  and  impress- 
ive, but  at  other  times  seemed  to  have  little  command 
over  his  own  powers,  and  his  audience  was  disappointed.f 

Bradley  Sillick  was  born  in  Danbury,  Conn.,  August 
23,  1784,  converted  at  the  age  of  twelve,  and  was  soon 
distinguished  for  his  piety  and  religious  activity.  He 
became  a  local  preacher  before  he  reached  his  twentieth 

*  Warriner's  Old  Sands  Street.  \  Sprague's  Aniials. 

18 


264  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

year,  and  in  1822  entered  the  itinerancy.  He  labored 
in  the  bounds  of  the  New  York  Conference  until  1851, 
when  he  became  supernumerary,  and  in  1853  superan- 
nuated. He  died  in  New  York,  November  4,  1860,  in 
his  seventy-seventh  year.  He  was  an  active  laborer,  and 
excelled  in  appeals  to  the  conscience  and  the  application 
of  the  truth  in  powerful  exhortation.* 

Cyrus  Prindle  was  born  in  Canaan,  Litchfield  County, 
Conn.,  April  11,  1800.  He  was  converted  at  the  age  of 
sixteen,  and  entered  the  itinerancy  in  1821.  His  appoint- 
ments up  to  the  time  he  came  to  New  York  city  had 
been  within  the  bounds  of  what  was  afterward  the 
Troy  Conference,  and  in  1833  he  returned  to  that  Con- 
ference, where  he  labored  until  1843,  when  lie  withdrew 
and  joined  the  Wesleyan  Methodists.  He  returned, 
however,  in  1867,  joining  the  Erie  Conference,  and  the 
cordiality  with  which  he  was  received  is  indicated  by 
the  fact  that  he  was  immediately  assigned  to  a  charge 
in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  two  years  after  was  made  pre- 
siding elder  of  the  Cleveland  District.  In  1873  he  be- 
came supernumerary,  and  in  18V5  superannuated,  and 
died  December  1,  1885.  He  was  a  man  of  intellectual 
vigor,  of  positive  convictions,  of  rare  purity  of  charac- 
ter, of  sound  practical  sense  and  quiet  force,  with  an 
intimate  knowledge  of  human  nature. f 

The  appointment  to  Harlem  Mission  was  Richard 
Seaman.  Born  at  Merrick,  Queens  County,  L.  I.,  April 
28,  1785,  when  a  little  over  fourteen  years  of  age  he 
came  to  New  York  and  became  a  clerk  in  a  drug-store. 
He  also  began  to  study  medicine,  and  Avhen  about 
nineteen  he  was  licensed  to  practice,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  became  resident  physician  at  the  Alms- 
house.     He  had  been,  like  too  many  of  the   medical 

*  Sacred  Memories,  p.  135;   and  Annual  Minutes. 
f  General  Minutes  of  1 886. 


The  Field  Divided.  265 

profession,  somewhat  skeptical,  but  in  the  fall  of  1812 
he  devoted  himself  to  the  service  of  God.  In  1823  he 
abandoned  a  large  and  remunerative  practice  and  was 
received  on  trial  in  the  New  York  Conference.  His 
connection  with  the  Harlem  Mission,  which  began  at  this 
time,  continued  until  the  end  of  his  life,  and  to  his 
labors  and  contributions  the  work  in  that  section  of  the 
city  is  greatly  indebted.  It  may  truly  be  said  that  he 
gave  his  life  and  property  to  the  cause  of  God  in  that 
region.  After  suffering  greatly  for  thirteen  years  from 
rheumatism  he  died  at  the  house  of  his  brother  in  New 
York,  November  6,  1864,  aged  eighty,  exclaiming,  "  O, 
my  Saviour,  how  I  love  thee  !  "  * 

During  this  Conference  year  the  revival  continued, 
though  with  less  impetus.  The  church  in  Greene  Street 
was  begun  and  completed,  and  the  corner-stone  of  that 
in  Second  Street  was  laid  on  January  23,  1832.f 

On  November  9,  1831,  Dr.  William  Phcebus  died 
and  was  bui-ied  from  the  Forsyth  Street  Church,  the 
services  being  conducted  by  Rev.  S.  Merwin. 

In  March,  1832,  Joseph  Smith,  Andrew  L.  Halsted, 
AVilliam  McLean,  Peter  Pinckney,  and  William  Smith 
■were  elected  trustees.  The  debt  was  reported  to  be 
$67,339,  being  an  increase  of  nearly  $30,000.  But  this 
was  to  be  expected  because  of  the  two  new  churches. 
The  ground  in  Greene  Street  had  cost  $10,000,  $10,750 
had  been  paid  on  the  building,  and  for  the  ground  in 
Second  Street  they  had  paid  $3,200 — in  all  nearly 
$24,000. 

This  being  the  year  for  General  Conference  the  ses- 
sion of  the  New  York  Conference  was  delayed  till  June 
6.     It  was  held  in  the  new  church  in  Greene  Street, 

*  Sacred  Memories,  p.  164. 

\  Full  accnuuis  of  the  origin  and  progress  of  those  enterprises  will 
be  triven  hereafter. 


266  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Bishop  Roberts  presiding,  Bishop  Hedding  being  pres- 
ent also.  The  report  of  members  in  New  York  city  for 
thisyear  was,  whites,  5, 2.S5;  colored,  120;  with  73  whites 
and  5  colored  on  the  Harlem  Mission;  in  all  5,433 — an 
increase  of  412.  This,  though  not  as  large  as  that  of 
the  preceding  year,  was  no  doubt  indicative  of  nearly, 
if  not  quite,  equal  success,  as  the  work  of  sifting  must 
have  already  begun. 

This  Conference  of  1832  marks  an  era  in  New  York 
Methodism.  Up  to  this  time  in  the  city  proper  there  had 
in  fact  been  but  one  church.  The  preachers  went  their 
rounds  on  the  circuit.  One,  the  preaclier  in  charge  or  sen- 
ior preacher,  was  the  fountain  of  authority  and  the  exec- 
utor of  discipline;  one  board  of  stewards  attended  to  the 
support  of  the  ministry  and  the  wants  of  the  poor,  one 
leaders'  meeting*  and  one  Quarterly  Conference  repre- 
sented all  the  congregations,  and  one  board  of  trustees 
held  all  the  property.  This  plan,  while  it  had  no  doubt 
many  advantages,  was  becoming  cumbersome,  and  at  this 
Conference  the  city  was  divided  into  two  charges,  called 
the  East  and  West  Circuits.  Thenceforth  there  were 
two  preachers  in  charge,  two  leaders'  meetings,  two 
Quarterly  Conferences,  and  two  boards  of  stewards, 
though  one  board  of  trustees  still  held  the  property. 
Including  the  Harlem  Mission  there  were,  therefore, 
properly  three  charges  within  the  corporate  limits  of 
the  city,  and,  as  might  well  be  expected,  it  was  not  long 
before  the  Avork  of  disintegration  proceeded  until  the 
various  congregations  became  separate,  each  with  its 
own  pastor  and  official  boards.  Hitherto  it  has  been 
"The  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
New  York; "  henceforth  it  must  in  a  sense  be  called 

*  Sectional  or  preparatory  leaders'  meetings  were  held,  however,  in 
the  diflFerent  cluirches  to  receive  tlie  class  collections  and  facilitate 
the  business  of  tlie  general  leaders'  meeting. 


The  Field  Divided.  267 

"  The  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Churches  in 
New  York."  About  sixty-six  years  (two  generations) 
have  passed  since  its  organization,  and  the  little  one  has 
become  a  thousand.  The  five  liearers  that  listened  to 
Philip  Embury  are  now  succeeded  by  a  membership  of 
nearly  5,500  ;  instead  of  one  local  preacher  there  are 
eleven  traveling  preachers,  besides  the  book  agents  and 
editors  and  a  large  body  of  local  preachers,  exhorters, 
and  class-leaders;  one  little  room  has  given  place  to 
nine  church  edifices  and  another  nearly  completed,  be- 
sides several  rooms  occupied  for  worship;  Methodisni 
throughout  the  land  is  taking  its  place  in  the  front  rank 
in  point  of  numbers  and  endowing  schools  and  colleges 
and  using  the  press  for  periodical  and  other  literature 
more  extensively  than  any  other  denomination.  Hence- 
forth those  who  have  "  peeped  and  muttered  "  against 
her  begin  to  sink  into  a  respectful  silence.* 

*The  Wesleyan  University  at  Middletown  was  just  orpranized,  and 
tlie  o-roLind  for  tlie  new  building  of  the  Methodist  Boole  Concern  in 
Mulberry  Street  had  recently  been  bought. 


268  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  FIELD  SUBDIVIDED— CONFERENCES  OF  1832  TO  1838. 

As  the  division  of  the  city  into  two  circuits  was  fol- 
lowed in  a  few  years  by  the  separation  of  the  churches 
into  distinct  stations,  only  a  very  brief  view  of  the  gen- 
eral work  in  these  years  of  transition  will  be  given, 
reserving  particulars  for  the  special  history  of  each 
charge.  S.  Merwin  was  presiding  elder,  N.  Bangs,  J.  P. 
Durbin,  and  T.  Merritt  editors,  and  B.  Waugh  and 
T.  Mason  book  agents.  The  West  Circuit  had  P.  P. 
Sandford,  S.  Landon,  J.  Bowen,  G.  Coles,  and  C.  Prindle; 
and  the  East,  D.  Ostrander,  B.  Griffin,  B.  Sillick,  P. 
Chamberlin,  and  P.  R.  Brown,  R.  Seaman  continued 
in  the  Harlem  Mission.* 

The  new  arrangement  produced  little  visible  change. 
The  people  did  not  have  quite  so  much  variety  in  the 
pulpit,  though  the  preachers  not  unfrequently  crossed 
the  line  and  made  exchanges.  The  difference  was  main- 
ly in  the  transaction  of  business.  In  one  respect,  how- 
ever, there  was  a  marked  alteration  in  the  appearance 
of  a  Methodist  congregation  in  New  York  city.  The 
rule  that  men  and  women  should  sit  apart  had  been 
rigidly  enforced,  though  its  inconvenience  had  long  been 
felt.  A  year  or  so  before.  Rev.  J.  Kennaday,  D.D.,  had 
suggested  to  a  church  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  the  plan  which 
at  this  time  was  introduced  in  New  York,  but  after  a 
short  experiment  it  was  relinquished  in  deference  to  old 
prejudices.!      When   the    Greene    Street    Church    was 

*  Memoirs  of  new  appointees  will  hereafter  be  omitted. 
f  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  vi,  p.  191,  and  vol.  xiv,  pp.  69  and  83. 


The  Field  Subdivided. 


269 


opened  the  people  were  permitted  to  go  in  at  any  door 
and  find  a  seat,  so  that  families  and  friends  need  not  be 
widely  separated.  A  diagram  will  explain  the  arrange- 
ment: 


WOMEN 

o 

AISLE 

v^^*"^ 

MEN 

/ 

MEN 

f 

^ 

~   c; 

3 

> 

hj 

^  ^ 

a 

5 

5 

AISLE 

i 

n 

r 
B 

WOMEN 

v^ 

WOMEN 

\ 

^ 

V. 

AISLE 

^"^» 

- 

MEN 

The  advantages  of  this  plan  were  so  obvious  that  it 
was  soon  adopted  by  the  other  churches  in  the  city. 
About  the  close  of  1837,  however,  the  custom  of  pro- 
miscuous sitting  was  introduced  on  the  West  Circuit. 
When  the  practice  began  on  the  East  Circuit  is  not  ex- 
actly known. 

The  summer  of  1832  is  memorable  as  that  in  which 
the  cholera  made  its  first  and  most  fearful  visitation  to 
the  city.  Dwellings  and  stores  were  closed,  and  many 
people  fled  into  the  country,  and  the  congregations 
were  of  course  much  diminished.  Many  members  were 
victims  of  the  disease,  but  by  a  good  providence  all  the 
Methodist  preachers  of  the  city  escaped.* 

*  An  idea  of  the  state  of  the  city  during  the  prevalence  of  this 
pestilence  can  be  obtained  from  an  article  in  The  Christian  Advocate, 
vol.  vi,  p.  197.     Tiie  writer  was  Rev.  George  Coles. 


2V0  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Early  in  this  year,  after  examining  the  Forsyth  Street 
Church  with  the  view  of  making  needful  re]jairs,  it  wr.s 
thought  best  to  rebuild  as  early  as  practicable  in  the 
ensuing  spring.*  The  corner-stone  of  the  new  edifice 
was  accordingly  laid  April  27,  1833.  Bishop  Hedding 
gave  an  address. f  On  October  18,  1832,  the  new  church 
in  Second  Street  was  dedicated. 

In  January,  1833,  the  Quarterly  Conference  of  the  West 
Circuit  recommended  an  application  to  the  Legislature 
for  a  change  in  the  plan  of  electing  trustees,  so  that 
each  church  could  choose  two.  In  March,  Gilbert  Cou- 
tant,  Joseph  Johnson,  Richard  Kirby,  Louis  King,  and 
William  S.  Hunt  were  chosen  trustees  for  three  years; 
William  Gale  for  one  year,  in  place  of  S.  B.  Harper,  and 
Nicholas  Schureman  for  two  years  in  place  of  A.  L. 
Halsted.J  The  debt  was  reported  at  178,773— an  in- 
crease of  $11,434. 

On  May  8,  1833,  the  Ncav  York  Conference  met  at 
Poughkeepsie,  Bishop  Hedding  presiding.  The  reports 
of  members  were.  New  York  W  est  Circuit,  2,123  whites 
and  46  colored;  New  York  East,  2,924  whites  and  58  col- 
ored ;  Harlem  Mission,  73  whites;  in  all  6,224 — a  de- 
crease of  209.  The  church  had  no  doubt  lost  a  number 
in  the  cholera,  and  was  then  feeling  the  effects  of  the 
reaction  after  the  great  revival.  S.  Merwin  remained 
as  presiding  elder,  and  the  preachers  were.  New  York 
East,  L.  Clark,  D.  Ostrander,  B.  Griffin,  P.  Chamberlin, 

*  Trustees'  minutes,  June  11,  November  16  and  23,  and  December 
5  and  19,  1832,  and  January  16,  February  6,  and  Marcli  6,  1833. 

f  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  vii,  p.  138. 

X  The  full  board  at  that  time  was  as  follows:  Joseph  Smith,  James 
Donaldson,  Gilbert  Coutant,  Andrew  C.  Wheeler,  James  B.  Oaklev, 
Jospph  Johnson,  L.  S.  Burling,  Wm.  McLean,  Peter  Pinckney,  Wm. 
Smitli,  Nicholas  Schureman,  Louis  King,  Wm.  S.  Hunt,  Wm.  Gale, 
R  chard  Kirby. — Minutes  of  trustees,  July  10,  1833. 


The  Field  Subdivided.  271 

P.  R  Brown;  New  York  West,  P.  P.  Sandford,  F.  Reed, 
J.  Bowen,  J.  C.  Green,  C.  W,  Carpenter;  Harlem  Mis- 
sion, R.  Seaman,  sup.,  and  S.  Hueston.* 

The  first  pewed  Methodist  church  in  New  York  city 
was  built  this  year  in  Vestry  Street,  and  another  soon 
after  in  Mulberry  Street.  They  were  never  included  in 
the  circuits.  Their  history  will  be  given  hereafter.  In 
March,  1834,  James  Donaldson,  John  Carr,  William 
Gale,  George  Higgins,  John  Shaw,  and  Andrew  C.^ 
Wheeler  were  elected  trustees.  The  debt  was  $89,798 — 
an  increase  of  more  than  $11, 000  during  the  year.f 

New  Haven,  Conn.,  was  the  place  of  meeting  of  the 
Conference  of  18;U,  May  7  the  date,  and  Bishop  An- 
drew the  presiding  officer.  J  The  New  York  East  Cir- 
cuit reported  2,816  whites,  9  colored;  New  York  West, 
2,302  whites,  45  colored,  and  Harlem  Mission,  75  whites 
and  2  colored;  in  all  5,249 — an  increase,  it  is  true,  but 
only  of  25.  S.  Merwin  remained  as  presiding  elder. 
On  the  East  Circuit  were  L.  Clark,  S.  C'ochran,  J. 
Youngs,  N.  Bigelow,  and  J.  Law;  on  the  West,  J.  B. 
Stratten,  F.  Reed,  J.  C.  Green,  D.  De  Vinne,  and  J.  C. 
Tackaberry.  Vestiy  Street,  the  pewed  church,  received 
Joseph  Holdich,  and  Harlem  Mission  was  to  be  served 
by  R.  Seaman,  supernumerary.  W.  E.  Hawley,  a  local 
preacher  of  the  city,  assisted  in  the  work  on  the  mission.  § 

*  A  written  copy  of  the  plan  of  the  West  Circuit  for  1833-4  gives 
the  following  list  of  local  preachers:  J.  Lyon,  J.  Smith,  W.  Lalte, 
R.  Roof,  M.  Standish,  W.  Lomas,  S.  Davenport,  Z.  Davenport,  C.  Burd, 
H.  Payne,  C.  Dye.  "We  have  no  list  of  the  local  preachers  on  the  Kast 
Circuit,  and  they  have  no  appointments  on  the  plan. 

f  This  is  tlie  last  official  report  of  trustees'  election  and  of  debt  of 
the  united  Churcii  to  be  found.  The  trustees'  minutes  in  the  hands 
of  the  writer  cease  at  March  12,  1834. 

X  This  was  the  only  time  he  met  the  New  York  Conference. 
Bishop  Hedding  was  with  him.     Clark's  Life  of  Heddiiiy,  p.  431. 

^5  See  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  ix,  pp.  70,  139. 


2V2  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

The  Conference  of  1835  met  at  Sands  Street,  Brook- 
lyn, on  May  6,  Bishop  Emory  presiding.*  The  New- 
York  East  Circuit  reported  2,853  whites  and  7  colored; 
New  York  West,  2,162  Avhites  and  40  colored;  Vestry 
Street,  124  whites;  Harlem  Mission,  94  whites  and  7 
colored;  in  all  5,287 — a  small  increase  again,  only  38. 
S.  Merwin  still  continued  as  presiding  elder,  and  the 
preachers  were.  New  York  East,  J.  Kennaday,  S.  Coch- 
ran, J.  Youngs,  N.  Bigelow,  and  J.  Law.  On  the 
West  Circuit,  J.  B.  Stratten,  D.  De  Vinne,  J.  C.  Tack- 
aberry,  L.  Mead,  E.  E,  Griswold.  For  Yestry  Street 
and  Mulberry  Street  the  Minutes  read,  "one  to  be  sup- 
plied,! -^-  Seney."  Harlem  Mission,  J.  Luckey,  one  to 
be  supplied.  J 

The  session  of  the  General  Conference  in  1836  deferred 
the  New  York  Conference  to  June  22.  It  met  at  Forsyth 
Street,  Bishop  Hedding  presiding.  The  East  Circuit 
reported  2,975  whites  and  1  colored;  the  West,  2,112 
whites  and  40  colored;  Vestry  Street,  150  whites;  Mul- 
berry Street,  106  whites,  and  Harlem  Mission,  109 
wliites;  a  total  of  5,493 — an  increase  of  206.  There  was 
a  new  presiding  elder,  D.  Ostrander,  and  the  preacliers 
were.  East  Circuit,  J.  Kennaday,  S.  Merwin,  S.  Jleming- 
ton,  H.  Brown,  and  D.  Smith;  West  Circuit,  C.  W.  Car- 
penter, J.  Covel,  Jr.,  J.  Z.  Nichols,  L,  Mead,  E.  E.  Gris- 
wold, and  L.  Pease,  supernumerary.  F,  Hodgson  re- 
turned to  Vestry  Street  and  R.  Seney  to  Mulberry 
Street.  On  the  Harlem  Mission  were  J.  Luckey  and 
D.  De  Vinne.  Besides  the  Mariners'  Church,  at  which 
H.  Chase  still  continued,  as  he  had  through  the  preced- 
ing years,  though  it  was  not  thought  necessary  to  note 

*This  was   Ihe   only    time  he    met   the  Xew    Tork    Conference. 
Bisliop  Hedding  was  also  present.     See  Chirk's  Life  of  Hedding,  p.  440. 
\  The  supply  for  Vestry  Street  was  F.  Hodgson. 
X  W.  C.  Hawley,  it  is  believed,  was  the  supply  for  Harlem  Mission, 


The  Field  Subdivided.  273 

it,  as  the  charge  was  not  a  Methodist,  but  a  Union, 
church,  we  also  find  a  Floating  Bethel  in  the  list,  to 
which  W.  Scott  was  appointed. 

On  July  1  of  this  year  the  corner-stone  of  the  new 
building  for  the  Book  Room  in  Mulberry  Street  was  laid 
after  an  address  by  Dr.  Bangs.  On  Tuesday  evening, 
August  9,  1836,  the  last  sermon  was  preached  in  the 
Allen  Street  Ciiurch,  the  building  being  about  to  be 
torn  down  to  be  replaced  by  another.* 

The  year  was  one  of  spiritual  prosperity.  Revivals 
took  place  in  Duane,  Greene,  Second,  Willett,  and  For- 
syth Street  churches,  and  there  was  some  religious  in- 
terest in  other  congregations.  About  180  were  con- 
verted in  Willett  Street,  f 

In  1837  the  Conference  met  at  Washington  Street, 
Brooklyn,  on  May  17,  Bishop  Waugh  presiding,  Bishop 
Hedding  being  also  present.  The  New  York  East  Cir- 
cuit reported  3,394  whites  and  9  colored  ;  the  West 
Circuit,  1,981  whites  and  40  colored  ;  Vestry  Street, 
160  wdiites;  Mulberry  Street,  119  whites.  Harlem 
Mission  makes  no  report.  The  total  is  5,703 — an  in- 
crease of  2 1 0.  J  D.  Ostrander  was  re-appointed  presiding 
elder,  and  the  preachers  of  the  West  Circuit  were  C.  W. 
Carpenter,  J.  Covel,  Jr.,  J.  Z.  Nichols,  A.  S.  Francis,  C. 
K.  True,  and  N.  Bigelow  and  R.  Seaman,  supernumera- 
ries. The  East  Circuit  was  divided  into  separate  sta- 
tions, as  follows:  Forsyth  Street,  D.  Smith;  Allen  Street, 
J.  B.  Stratten;  Seventh  Street,  R.  Gilbert;  Willett  Street, 
S.  Remington;  Second  Street,  H.  Brown.  The  Harlem 
Mission  had  D.  De  Vinne  and  J.  Floy;  Vestry  Street  had 
B.  Creagh;  Mulberry  Street,  F.  Hodgson. 

*  See  history  of  Allen  Street,  p.  294. 
\  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xi,  p.  102. 

X  If  Harlem  had  reported  there  would  probably  have  been  at  least 
100  more. 


2V4  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

On  June  22,  1837,  the  new  church  in  Seventh  Street 
was  dedicated,  and  on  July  2  that  in  Yorkville.  The 
columns  of  The  Christian  Advocate  report  seasons  of 
revival  in  almost  all  the  churches. 

On  May  16,  1838,  the  Conference  assembled  in  Greene 
Street,  Bishop  Hedding  presiding.*  The  total  returns 
of  membership  in  the  city  were  5,477  whites  and  56  col- 
ored; in  all,  5,533 — a  decrease  of  l70.f  At  this  Con- 
ference the  West  Circuit,  following  the  example  of  the 
East,  was  divided  into  separate  charges.  Harlem  Mis- 
sion was  to  be  served  by  J.  C.  Tackaberry  and  J.  Floy. 
C.  W.  Williamson  was  appointed  missionary  to  the 
French  population  of  the  city,  and  D.  Ostrander  re- 
mained as  presiding  elder. 

As  has  been  already  stated,  the  division  of  the  city 
into  two  circuits  in  1832  made  no  change  in  the  board 
of  trustees,  and  the  property  was  still  held  in  common. 
But,  as  was  to  be  expected,  the  difficulties  arising  from 
such  a  system  were  increased,  and  there  was  a  growing 
feeling  that  new  financial  arrangements  were  necessary. 
A  very  warm  contest  arose.  Those  who  advocated  a 
continuance  of  the  old  system  called  themselves  "union 
men,"  and  gave  to  their  opponents  the  title  of  "nulli- 
fiers" — a  name  of  peculiar  reproach  in  those  days  because 
of  the  recent  nullification  movement  in  South  Carolina. 
At  the  meeting  for  the  election  of  trustees,  March  4, 
1834,  a  vote  was  taken  on  the  question,  which  stood, 

*This  Conference  is  memorable  as  that  on  which  several  of  its 
members  were  dealt  with  for  attending  an  aiitislavery  convention  at 
Utica. 

f  This  seems  inconsistent  with  tlie  reports  of  revivals  just  referred 
to.  It  is  probable  that  the  controversy  about  the  division  of  the 
church  property  wliich  was  in  progress  at  this  time  was  a  serious 
drawback.  It  was  also  a  time  of  great  pecuniary  embarrassment, 
and  many  moved  out  of  the  city. 


The  Field  Subdivided.  275 

511  for  union  and  286  for  division.*  But  on  August 
20,  1834,  a  committee,  previously  appointed  by  the 
trustees  to  consider  the  matter,  recommended  the  calling 
of  meetings  of  the  male  members  in  each  of  the  churches 
at  the  same  hour,  to  which  the  question  was  to  be  sub- 
mitted. These  meetings  were  held  on  August  25,  and 
the  result  was  : 

F'lr  Against 

Division.  Division. 

John  Street 17  7 

Forsyth  Street 36  18 

Willelt  Street 20  4 

Allen  Street 21  38 

Second  Street 27  5 

Bowery  Village  (Seventh  Street) 6  7 

Twentieth  Street  (Eighteenth  Street) 18  1 

Bedford  Street 27  26 

Greene  Street 12  15 

Duane  Street  11  29 

195  150f 

In  October,  1834,  it  was  resolved  to  apply  to  the  chan- 
cellor for  permission  to  divide,  and  that  a  commission  of 
"six  judicious  persons  "  be  appointed  to  value  the  prop- 
erty. The  permission  was  granted  in  March,  1835,  and 
on  the  27th  of  that  month  articles  of  agreement  M'ere 
concluded,  which  were  signed  on  the  30th.  Of  the  value 
of  the  property  we  find  no  record,  but  the  debt  was  es- 
timated at  $89,950  34.  J  At  the  meeting  of  May  6,  1835, 
letters  of  resignation  from  the  trustees  connected  with 
the  East  Circuit  were  received  and  accepted.  §  The  West 
Circuit  retained  the  original  charter,  probably  because 
it  included  John  Street  Church. 

The  East  Circuit,  however,  continued  to  work  with  a 
joint  board  only  a  little  more  than  a  year.    On  Septem- 

*  Trustees'  minutes.  f  See  Charter  Church,  p.  24. 

X  Ibid.,  p.  25.  §  lUd.,  p.  28. 


276  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

ter  15,  1836,  the  property  and  debt  were  divided  be- 
tween the  several  cliurches  within  its  bounds.  A  record 
at  Willett  Street  values  the  entire  property  at  $144,000, 
and  gives  the  debt  at  about  |46,000.  A  paper  at  Forsyth 
Street,  however,  gives  items  of  property  which  amount 
to  $151,100,  but  no  statement  of  the  debt.  Nor  can 
there  be  found,  except  in  two  instances,  any  account  of 
the  portion  of  property  and  debt  assigned  to  each 
church. 

But  the  West  Circuit  kei)t  up  the  union  until  1838, 
On  January  2  of  that  year,  at  a  meeting  in  the  Greene 
Street  Church,  it  was  resolved  by  a  vote  of  93  to  5  to 
divide,*  and  on  November  16  warrantee  deeds  Avere 
given  to  the  churches  in  John  Street,  Duane  Street, 
Greene  Street,  and  Bedford  Street.f  Naturally  the 
duty  of  setting  oflE  the  others  would  have  devolved  on 
John  Street,  but  the  trustees  of  that  church  declining 
to  take  the  responsibility  it  was  done  by  Eighteenth 
Street,  and  thus  the  youngest  of  the  live  became  pos- 
sessed of  the  original  charter  and  seal,  and  is  "  The 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  city  of  New  York." 
We  have  no  account  of  the  value  of  the  churches  at  the 
time,  but  the  debt  was  estimated  at  $63,000,  and  there 
was  loose  property  (grave-yards,  vaults,  and  lots  and 
houses  not  used  for  church  purposes)  amounting  to 
$1 7,750,  leaving  a  net  debt  of  |45,250.  This  was  ap- 
portioned as  follows;  Greene  Street,  $9,500;  John 
Street,  $10,900;  Duane  Street,  $8,800;  Bedford  Street, 
$6,300;  Eighteenth  Street,  $9,750.  J 

Not  long  before  this  (probably  in  the  latter  ])art  of 
1837)  promiscuous  seating  had  been  introduced.  A 
departure  from  the  old  system,  which  drew  a  dividing 
line  between  the  sexes  through  the  middle  of  the  church, 
had  been  nia<le  when  the  building  in  Greene  Street  was 

*  Charter  Church,  p.  HS.  f  Ihid.,  p.  42.  %  Ibid.,  p.  41. 


The  F'ield  Subdivided.  277 

opened,*  and  was  immediately  adopted  throughout  the 
city.  But  tliis  was  only  a  step  toward  the  removal  of 
all  barriers.  There  was  raiich  and  no  doubt  honest  op- 
jiosition  to  this  change,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  following 
extract  from  the  minutes  of  the  List  Quarterly  Confer- 
ence of  the  united  churches  of  the  West  Circuit,  held 
April  4,  1838.  It  is  the  last  item  in  the  minutes,  and 
seems  like  a  final  protest  uttered  by  the  lovers  of  good 
old  customs  just  as  the  circuit  system  in  New  York 
city  was  expiring.  One  of  the  preachers  present  offered 
the  following  resolution: 

''Resolved,  That  the  trustees  of  the  West  Circuit 
who  have  seated  the  congregations  promiscuously  in 
their  churches  have  violated  the  order  and  discipline  of 
the  Church." 

After  debate  it  was  laid  on  the  table,  and  the  Con- 
ference never  met  again  to  take  it  up.  The  middle 
wall  of  partition  then  broken  down  has  never  been 
built  up  again,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  any  one  wishes  it 
should  be. 

*See  p.  2»i9. 


278  A  History  of  Methodism  in  Xew  York  City, 


CHAPTER  XXIY. 

CHURCHES:    JOHX    STREET— FORSYTH    STREET— DU  AXE 
STREET. 

JOHN    STREET. 

{Wesley   Chapel — First  Methodist  Episcopal   Church — The  First  Meth- 
odist Episcop)al  Centennial  Church  in  the  City  of  New  York.) 

When,  in  1832,  the  city  was  divided  into  two  charges, 
John  Street  was  included  in  the  West  Circuit.*  George 
Coles  was  the  preacher  who  resided  there.  Fitch  Reed 
followed  in  1833-4,  E.  E.  Griswold  in  1835-6,  and 
Charles  K.  True  in  1837.  In  1838  the  West  Circuit  Avas 
divided  into  separate  charges.  Up  to  this  time  the 
statistics  of  the  Avhole  circuit  were  reported  in  one  sum, 
so  that  there  are  no  means  of  ascertaining  precisely  what 
membership  was  connected  with  the  old  church.  In 
the  division  of  the  church  property  we  have  no  account 
of  the  value  of  that  assigned  to  John  Street,  but  its 
share  of  the  debt  Avas  $10,900.  In  July,  1836,  the  build- 
ing narrowly  escaped  destruction  by  fire.  A  quantity 
of  shavings  placed  under  some  benches  in  the  basement 
were  burning,  and  a  man  Avas  found  on  his  knees  in  the 
room  saying  his  prayei-s.  He  gave  his  name  as  John 
P.  Kelly,  and  said  he  Avas  a  printer  from  Philadelphia. 
A  number  of  Catholic  tracts  and  a  mahogany  crucifix 
Avere  found  on  him.  He  gave  no  explanation  of  his 
conduct,  and  it  Avas  afterAvard  learned  that  he  Avas  de- 

*  It  would  therefore  naturally  have  come  within  the  bounds  of  llie 
New  York  Conference  wlien  the  Conference  was  divided  in  1848,  but 
the  boundary  was  then  so  rua  as  to  place  it  within  the  New  York  East. 


John  Street.  279 

ranged.*  It  has  been  remarked  that  the  John  Street 
Church  is  one  of  the  few  buildings  which  has  escajied 
the  successive  conflagrations  which  have  swept  away  the 
landmarks  of  old  New  York. 

Buel  Goodsell  was  the  first  pastor  of  the  independent 
charge,  and  in  1839,  at  the  close  of  his  first  year,  it  had 
238  whites  and  22  colored  members;  in  all  260 — very 
nearly  what  it  was  in  1787,  about  fifty  years  before,  when 
it  stood  275.  The  preacher  remained  another  year,  and 
Avhen  he  left,  in  1840,  the  membership  was  233.  The 
population  of  the  neighborhood  was  decreasing,  dwell- 
ings being  rapidly  supplanted  by  stores,  and  the  pros- 
pect became  so  discouraging  that  at  the  General  Confer- 
ence of  1840  the  trustees  offered  to  sell  the  property  for 
missionary  premises.    The  proposal  was  laid  on  the  table.f 

But  a  better  view  of  the  history  of  this  and  the  other 
churches  Avill  be  obtained  if  the  appointments  and  stj[i- 
tistics  are  presented  in  a  tabular  form.  J 

YEAR.       MEMBERS.  PASTOR.  YEAR.       MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

1838  —       B.  Goodsell.  1840      233     Wm.  K.  Stopford. 

1839  260  '•  1841       274§ 

It  was  during  Mr.  Stopford's  pastorate  that  the  pres- 
ent church  edifice — the  third  on  that  site — was  erected. 
The  widening  of  the  street  made  it  necessary  that  some 
change  should  be  made,  and  the  trustees  state  that  three 
plans  had  been  under  consideration — 1.  To  tear  down 
a  part,  and  put  up  a  new  front.     2.  To  sell,  and  build 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  x,  p.  191. 

•j-  General  Conference  Journal,  p.  72. 

X  In  these  tables,  and  in  those  of  all  the  other  churches,  the  number 
of  members  is  first  given,  showing  liow  many  there  were  when  the 
pastor  began  the  year.  The  number  at  the  close  of  his  year  will  be 
found  on  the  next  line  below.  No  distinction  is  made  between  white 
and  colored,  or  members  and  probationers. 

§  A  revival  during  this  j'ear  resulted  iu  the  addition  of  about  100. 
Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xvi,  p.  159. 
10 


280  A  History  of  Methodism  in  Neav  York  City. 

elsewhere.  3.  To  rebuild,  "and  thus  secure  to  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  forever  that  sacred  spot,  toward 
which  converge  all  the  pleasing  recollections  of  early 
Methodism.  The  last-named  plan  the  trustees  liave 
decided  upon."  Therefore  they  asked  "  aid  from  their 
brethren  at  home  and  abroad,  to  enable  them  to  prose- 
cute their  enterprise,  believing  as  they  do  that  by  per- 
petuating to  other  and  distant  generations  the  privilege 
of  worshiping  their  fathers'  God  whei'e  tJtey  first  erected 
the  standard  of  the  cross  and  proclaimed  a  free  and  pres- 
ent and  full  salvation  they  do  what  the  voice  of  the 
whole  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  would  demand  at 
their  hand."  The  name  of  James  Harper  is  signed  as 
president  of  the  board  of  trustees  and  Ira  Perego  as  sec- 
retary.* This  building  is  forty  feet  by  eighty,  and  has 
a  gallery  on  three  sides  and  a  convenient  basement.  It 
was  dedicated  on  Tuesday,  April  27,  1 841,  at  three  P.  M., 
by  Bishop  Hedding,  who  preached  on  1  Thess.  i,  8,  "  For 
from  you  sounded  out  the  word  of  the  Lord,"  etc. 

For  a  few  years  after  the  new  building  was  occupied 
nothing  of  especial  interest  occurred  in  its  history.  Its 
reports  and  appointments  were  : 


YEAR. 

MEMBEBS. 

PASTOK. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

1842 

377 

V. 

Buck. 

1849 

333 

V.  Buck. 

1843 

419 

" 

1850 

247 

G.  Brown. 

1844 

373 

A. 

Rogers. 

1851 

275 

" 

1845 

388 

" 

1852 

217 

W.  K.  Stopford.  § 

1846 

347 

E. 

Crawford. 

t 

1853 

189 

To  be  supplied. 

1847 

353 

" 

1854 

167 

G.  S.  Hare. 

1848 

327 

V. 

Buck.  X 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xv,  p.  27. 

■j-  Mr.  Crawford  was  born  in  the  old  John  Street  parsonajre  about 
thirty-five  years  before. 

X  This  year  the  old  New  York  Conference  was  divided,  and  John 
Street  was  tlienceforth  in  the  New  York  East  Conference. 

§  Mr.  Stopford  died  on  the  25th  of  June,  1852.  Hiram  Mattison,  a 
superannuated  member  of  tlie  Black  River  Conference,  supplied  dur- 
ing tlie  rest  of  the  year  and  the  whole  of  the  next. 


THIRD    JOHN    S'l'UELT    CHrRL'l 


John  Street.  281 

But  about  this  time  a  very  warm  and  unfortunate 
controversy  arose.     A  majority  ot  the  board  of  trustees 
took  action  for  the  sale  of  the  property  and  the  use  of 
the  proceeds  to  erect  a  new  house  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Madison  Square.     It  was  argued  that  the  member- 
ship and  congregation  were  small ;  that  many  of  them 
lived  at  a  distance  and  could  be  better  accommodated 
elsewhere  ;  that  the  current  expenses  were  not  met,  and 
that,  the  property  being  valuable,  its  proceeds  could  be 
better  employed  for  the  work  in  some  other  locality. 
The  first  three  of    these  statements  were   undoubtedly 
correct,  and  the  last  had  sufficient  foundation  to  entitle 
it  to  attention.     But  on  the  other  side  it  was  urged  that 
a  church  was  still  needed   in  that  section   of   the  city, 
that  it  could  be  sustained,  that  it  was  entitled  to  the 
help  of  the  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
not  only  in  Xew  York  city  but  throughout  the  whole 
connection,  and  that,  being  the  site  of  the  first  i\Ieth- 
odist    Episcopal    church    edifice    on    the    continent,    it 
should  be  preserved.     The   other  party  replied  that  it 
was  not  the  spot  where  Methodist  preaching  began  in 
this  country;  that  the  rigging-loft  and  Embury's  own 
house  preceded  it,  and  that  a  portion  of  the  property 
(a  lot  on  each  side  of  the  present  building)  had  already 
been  sold ;  and  that  no  sentimental  attachment  or  rev- 
erence for  the  locality  ought  to  interfere  with  such  use 
of  the  property  as  would  most  tend  to  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  salvation  of  men.     On  the  other  hand  was  the 
fact,  not  made  as  prominent,  however,  as  it  deserved  to 
be,  that  in  the  erection  of  the  present  building  appeals 
had  been  made  for  aid  from  the  whole  Church,  not  only 
in  Kew  York,  but  in  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  and  else- 
where, on  the  plea  that  the  pi'operty  was  to  be  preserved 
perpetually  as   a   place   of  Methodist   worship.*     This 
*Seo  p.  280. 


282  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

made  it  seem  almost  like  a  breach  of  faith  to  sell  it  and 
apply  the  proceeds  to  the  erection  of  a  building  elsewhere. 

The  controversy  was  a  protracted  and  painful  one. 
A  decision  of  one  of  the  bishops  in  favor  of  the  up- 
town party,  though  no  doubt  honestly  given,  jjroved  to 
be  unfortunate;  tlie  down-town  membership,  male  and 
female,  literally  intrenched  themselves  in  the  building 
to  hold  it  against  all  assaults.  The  result  was  that  the 
property  in  John  Street  was  not  sold,  and  remains  now, 
and  there  is  reason  to  hope  ever  will  remain,  a  place  of 
worship  for  "  the  people  called  Methodists."  In  the 
conflict,  however,  the  Church  lost  more  than  $20,000,* 
and  was  left  in  an  embarrassed  condition.  In  1866,  by 
the  aid  of  Bishop  Janes,  $13,000  was  raised  to  pay  off 
indebtedness,  and  the  property  was  conveyed  to  a  new 
corporation  under  a  special  charter  passed  in  the  same 
year.  The  corporate  title  is  "  The  First  Methodist 
Episcopal  Centennial  Church  in  the  Cit}^  of  New  York." 
No  sale  of  the  property  can  be  made  without  consent  of 
the  General  Conference  and  the  Supreme  Court  of  New 
York.  The  trustees  are  elected  by  the  General  Confer- 
ence, a  majority  of  them  being  connected  with  the  John 
Street  Society,  and  are  subject  to  the  direction  of  the 
General  Conference. 

In  1855  the  Minutes  report  146  members  and  "John 
Street,  to  be  supplied."  Rev.  N.  Tibbals  was  the 
supply.  At  the  Conference  of  1856,  134  members  were 
reported;  but  in  the  list  of  appointments  of  the  New 
York  East  Conference  for  that  year  the  name  of  this 
old  church  is  not  to  be  found.  In  the  Minutes  of  the 
New  York  Conference,  however,  we  have  "  First  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  George  S.  Hare,"  this  being 
evidently  the  name  of  the  new  organization;  and  in  the 
Minutes  of  the  New  York  East  Conference  we  read, 

*  C.  Shaffer,  Esq.,  in  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  Ix,  p.  131. 


J  o H  \    Str ket.  283 

"South  New  York  Mission,  V.  Buck."  But  in  1857 
this  disappears,  and  we  have  "John  Street "  again,  with 
Charles  E.  Harris  as  pastor,*  but  no  report  of  members 
either  of  that  or  of  the  "South  New  York  Mission,"  but 
the  "First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church"  in  the  New 
York  Conference  reports  138  members,  and  is  left  to 
be  supplied;  it  also  reports  a  church  worth  |40,000.t 
In  1858,  however,  the  "First  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church "  disappears  finally  from  the  Minutes  of  the 
New  York  Conference,  and  in  those  of  the  New  York 
East,  John  Street  reports  116  members,  a  church  prop- 
erty valued  at  $40,000,  and  Charles  E.  Harris  again  as 
preacher.  In  1859  he  ix'ported  112  members,  and  a 
church  worth  $22,000.     Since  then  the  record  runs: 


YEiK. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOK. 

YKAB.      ; 

MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

1859 

112 

E.  L.  Janes. 

1875 

171 

N. 

G.  Cheney. 

1860 

130 

" 

1876 

180 

M. 

L.  Scudder. 

1861 

147 

W.  H.  Milburn. 

1877 

118 

B. 

T.  Abbott. 

186-2 

170 

" 

1878 

186 

" 

1863 

167 

J.  M.  Carrol. 

1879 

201 

" 

1864 

124 

S.  C.  Keeler. 

1880 

209 

L. 

S.  Weed. 

1865 

131 

R.  C.  Putney. 

1881 

199 

C. 

C.  Lasby. 

1866 

136 

To  be  supplied.:]: 

1882 

219 

" 

1867 

150 

" 

1883 

234 

A. 

B.  Sanford. 

1868 

117 

" 

1884 

203 

" 

1869 

137 

W.  P.  Corbit. 

1885 

235 

" 

1870 

92 

L.  S.  Weed. 

1886 

171 

J. 

L.  Peck. 

1871 

110 

" 

1887 

170 

" 

1872 

164 

" 

1888 

164 

W 

.  W.  Bowdish. 

1873 

138 

N.  G.  Cheney. 

1889 

235 

'• 

1874 

155 

" 

1890 

230 

" 

The  church  is  valued  at  $50,000.  No  parsonage  and 
no  debt.  Pastor's  total  salary  (including  rent),  $2,000. 
Other  collections,  $758.§  Current  expenses,  $1,400.  The 
Sunday-school  numbers  154. 

*  Mr.  Harris  liad  been  supplying  the  charge  during  most  of  the 
previous  year.  f  Evidently  the  John  Street  property. 

:(:  W.  H.  De  Puy,  a  member  of  the  Genesee  Conference  and  assistant 
editor  of  The  Christian  Advocate,  was  the  supply. 

§  This  total  is  from  the  Minutes  of  1890,  and  hero  and  in  all  other 


2S4  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

Scarcely  a  week  passes  in  which  there  are  not  visitors, 
some  from  distant  parts  of  our  own  country  and  other 
Lands,*  wlio  not  unfrequently  k^ave  a  sul)Stantial  token  of 
their  interest  in  a  contribution  to  its  funds.     That  these 
are  needed,  it  is  liardly  necessary  to  say,  as  the  society 
has    to   make  every  effort  to  meet  expenses.     But  it  is 
doing  a  good  work,  and  now,  after  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  years,  the  ohl  cradle  bids  fair  to  be 
preserved  until  the  end  of  time.     Except  Trinity  and 
St.  Paul's  it  is  the  only  Protestant  church  edifice  below 
Chambers  Street,  and  although  the  region  is  principally 
occupied  for  business   purposes  there    is   still  consider- 
able population.    There  are  a  number  of  large  buildings 
which   are   in   the   charge    of    persons    of    intelligence, 
many  of  whom,  witli  their  families,  are  not  inclined  to 
attend  ritualistic  services,   and   John    Street  furnishes 
such  opportunities  as  meet  their  desires.     If  the  church 
were  properly  equipped  and  endowed,!  it   is  believed 
that  its  future  history  would  equal  if  not  excel  the  past. 
Surely  ^Methodism  in  the  United  States  is  able  to  supply 
the  means  for  this,  and  most  certainly  it  ought  to  do  so. 
The  anniversary   of    the   original  dedication  is  cele- 
brated every  year  on  the  last  Sunday  in  October.     The 
old  clock,  said  to  be  a  gift  from  Mr.  Wesley,  still  ticks 
in   the    basement,    and  the   altar-rail    and    desk  in    the 

cases  includes  the  sum  for  bishops,  presiding  elders,  Conference 
claimants,  and  all  collections  for  benevolent  purposes,  but  not  those 
for  debt,  repairs,  and  miscellaneous  objects.  The  current  expenses 
are  for  sexton,  fuel,  light,  etc. 

*  A  book  is  kept  in  which  these  visitors  are  requested  to  enter 
their  names.  Many  fail  to  do  so,  but  from  the  time  when  the  Rev. 
W.  W.  Bowdish  came  to  the  charge  (April,  1888)  until  the  last  of 
October,  1 889,  864  wrote  their  names. 

f  In  1872  an  endowment  fund  was  inaugurated  by  Rev.  L.  S. 
"Weed;  but  it  has  not  yet  reached  the  amount  necessary  to  make  it 
available. 


John   Street.  285 

lecture-room  were  in  the  audience-room  of  the  second 
church.*  There  are  also  monumental  tablets  to  John 
Summerfield,  Philip  Embury,  Barbara  Hick,  Bishop 
Asbury,  Joseph  Smith,  Mrs.  Maria  Harper  (wife  of 
James  Harper),  Rev.  Elijah  Crawford,  Rev.  W.  K. 
Stopford,  and  Rev.  L.  S.  Weed  (former  pastors),  and 
Bishops  Janes  and  Harris  (resident  bishops  in  New 
York  at  the  time  of  their  death). 

The  baptismal-bowl  bears  an  inscription  stating  that 
it  was  a  gift  from  Thomas  Carpenter  in  1799,  and  the 
vessels  for  communion  wine  are  inscribed,  "  For  the  use 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  John  Street, 
1818,"  the  year  of  tlie  erection  of  the  second  church. 


FORSYTH    STREET. 

{Second  Street — Boivery  Church.) 

From  1832  to  1837  Forsyth  Street  Church  was  part 
of  the  New  York  East  Circuit,  and  the  preachers  resid- 
ing there  were,  1832-3,  D.  Ostrander;  1834-5,  S.  Coch- 
ran; 1836,  D.  Smith.  In  1837  the  circuit  was  divided 
into  separate  charges,  and  D.  Smith  remained  in  Forsyth 
Street. 

Early  in  this  period  a  new  church  edifice  was  erected. f 
The  last  sermon  in  the  old  building  (probably  early  in 
1833)  was  from  the  text,  "Lord,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be 
here,"  and  in  the  prayer-meeting  which  followed  six 
conversions  took  place.  \     The  corner-stone  of  the  new 

*  It  has  been  sa'd  that  they  were  built  by  Embury  in  tlie  first 
church;  but  this  is  behaved  to  be  an  error.     See  p.  85. 

f  There  seems  lo  be  an  idea  that  this  was  :i  partial  rebuilding  of 
the  old  one.  But  this  is  an  error;  the  building  was  new,  though  some 
of  the  old  material  was  probably  used. 

I  Christian  Advocate^  vol.  vii,  p.  129. 


286     A   IIlSTOKY    OK   ^«1kT1I01)JS.M    IN'    NkW  YoKlvClTV. 

edifice  was  laid  in  April,  1833,  Bishop  Hedding  giving 
an  address.*  The  dedication  was  in  October.  The 
venerable  Thomas  Morrell,  through  whose  efforts  the 
first  church  was  built,  and  who  preached  its  dedication 
sermon,  Avas  invited  to  officiate,  but,  being  too  feeble, 
Daniel  Ostrander  delivered  the  opening  discourse,  tak- 
ing as  his  text  1  Cor.  iii,  9. 

The  building  w^as  one  of  the  largest  owned  by  the  de- 
nomination in  the  city  at  that  time.  It  was  a  little 
longer  than  that  recently  erected  in  Greene  Street,  but 
not  quite  as  wide,  and  nearly  after  the  same  model.  It 
cost  about  S20,000.f  In  1837,  therefore,  Avith  a  church 
edifice  nearly  new,  aiid  a  membership,  as  reported  in 
1838,  of  914,  Forsyth  Street  began  its  independent  his- 
tory. A  revival  in  the  early  part  of  1838  resulted  in 
the  conversion  of  more  than  one  hundred. J  Daniel 
Smith,  as  Ave  haAe  seen,  was  the  pastor;  his  successors 
and  the  reports  they  made  are  given  beloAv  : 


VKAR. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOK. 

VKAH. 

MEMBER 

S.                             PASTOK. 

1838 

914 

J.  Lindsay. 

1851 

417 

R.  Jessop. 

1839 

854 

" 

1852 

418 

J.  B.  Wakeley. 

1840 

853 

John  Crawford.  2<i. 

1853 

342 

" 

1841 

936 

" 

1854 

370 

W.  H.  Norris. 

1842 

1,070§ 

H.  Bangs. 

1855 

326 

" 

1843 

980 

" 

1856 

342 

R.  M.  Hatfield. 

1844 

828 

S.  Waslibiirri. 

1857 

360 

'• 

1845 

655 

" 

1858 

390 

T.  11.  Bureh. 

1846 

622 

J.  B.  Stratleii. 

1859 

394 

" 

1847 

535 

" 

1860 

361 

J.  Miley. 

1848 

57511 

J.  W.  B.  Wood. 

18G1 

265 

" 

1849 

523 

" 

1862 

252 

J.  PoRjr,  Jr. 

1850 

502 

R.  Jessop. 

1863 

245 

" 

*  Christian  Advocak,  vol.  vii,  p.  l.'!9.  Triistees'  raiuiites.  April  17, 
1833. 

f  Greenleaf  s  History  of  the  Churches  of  New  Ym-k. 

X  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xii,  p.  106. 

§  The  largest  membership  in  the  city  at  tlie  time. 

||  Ninety-four  were  converted  in  a  revival  in  tlio  early  part  of 
1848.      Chriifian  Advocate,  vol.  xxiii,  p.  38. 


FoKSYTM  Stkket.  2s7 


1834 

243 

G. 

A.  Hiibbell. 

1878 

99 

R.  S.  Putney. 

1865 

206 

" 

1879 

86 

A.  C.  Morelioii.st'. 

1866 

247 

F. 

Brown. 

1880 

146 

'' 

1867 

264 

■' 

1881 

138 

•' 

1868 

280 

1882 

107 

'• 

1869 

288 

J. 

A.  Roche. 

1883 

ISO 

1870 

189 

'• 

1884 

189 

W.  W.  Gillies. 

1871 

170 

G. 

Stlllman. 

1885 

154 

" 

1872 

147 

J. 

W.  BHi-iiliart 

1886 

73 

J.  A.  Roche. 

1873 

182 

1887 

75 

" 

1874 

162 

" 

1888 

82 

" 

1875 

161 

J. 

B.  Merwiii. 

1889 

72 

T.  Step?ieiison. 

1876 

105 

A 

Graham. 

1890 

70 

W.  H.  Lawrence. 

1877 

84 

N. 

Hubbell. 

From  more  than  one  thousand  neai'ly  iitty  years  ago 
the  membership  has,  therefore,  gone  down  to  less  than 
one  hundred.  Of  course,  the  large  church  edifice  became 
a  burden,  and  during  Mr.  Barnhart's  term  of  service  it 
was  thought  advisable  to  make  such  changes  in  the 
property  as  would  adapt  it  to  the  change  of  circum- 
stances. About  two  thirds  of  the  front  portion  was 
taken  down,  and  tenement  houses  erected  in  its  place; 
the  remaining  one  third  was  left  as  a  place  of  worship, 
the  seating  being  changed.  But  unfortunately  the  tene- 
ments did  not  rent  to  advantage,  and  the  society  found 
its  burdens  increased.  There  had  been  a  surplus  of 
18,000,  but  now  there  was  a  debt  of  some  $70,000.* 
But  this  has  been  reduced,  and  when  it  is  extinguished 
the  proceeds  of  the  property  can  be  used  for  the  work 
in  the  neighborhood.  The  trustees  are  elected  by  the 
New  York  East  Conference.  The  whole  property,  in- 
cluding the  tenement  houses,  is  valued  at  |1 25,000. 
Debt,  $7,000.  Total  salary-,  |1,200.  Other  collections, 
$130.      Current  expenses,  $500.     Sunday-school,  140. 

*  The  prospects  of  tliis  church  liave  very  mucli  improved  now 
(January,  1892).  The  membership  has  increased  fifty  per  cent.,  the 
collections  have  nearly  doubled,  the  debt  is  less  than  $3,000,  and  the 
preaclier's  salary  $2,000. 


288  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  (!tty. 

BUANE    CHURCH. 

{North   Church — North  River   Church — Hudson  Church — Duane  Street 
Church.) 

Duane  Street  became  part  of  the  West  Circuit,  and 
S.  Landon  was  the  resident  preacher.  He  was  succeeded 
in  1833  by  C.  W.  Carpenter,  in  1834-5  by  D.  De  Vinne, 
and  in  1836-7  by  J.  Z.  Nichols.  In  1838,  when  it  be- 
came a  separate  charge,  $8,800  was  its  share  of  the  debt, 
and  M.  Richardson  was  appointed  pastor.  The  build- 
ing in  which  tlie  congregation  was  worshiping  was  the 
oldest  Methodist  Church  edifice  in  the  city.  Though 
improved  in  some  respects  it  still  retained  a  somewhat 
antiquated  aspect.  A  number  of  the  members  were  of 
French  ancestry,  descendants  of  the  Huguenot  settlers 
of  Staten  Island  and  Westchester  County,  and  some 
were. from  the  island  of  Guernsey.  The  attendance, 
though  not  equal  to  what  it  had  been,  was  still  good, 
and  its  social  meetings  were  of  a  lively  character.  From 
the  Minutes  we  get  the  following  items  as  to  its  pas- 
tors and  membership: 


1 888 



M.  Rieliurdson. 

1857 

322 

B. 

M.  Adams. 

1889 

427 

" 

1S58 

314 

" 

1840 

457 

S.  D.  Ferguson. 

1859 

284 

M 

.  D'C.  Crawford. 

1841 

401 

S.  Lucke}'. 

1860 

215 

T. 

B.  Smith. 

1842 

436 

S.  Vaadiiseu. 

1861 

265 

" 

1843 

603 

J.  Law. 

1862 

245 

Z. 

N.  Lewis. 

1844 

607 

" 

1863 

178 

J. 

Parker. 

1845 

601 

J.  roisal. 

1864 

215 

" 

184G 

627 

" 

1865 

210 

" 

1847 

512 

L  M.  Vincent. 

1866 

277 

T. 

B.  Smitli. 

1848 

554 

" 

1867 

230 

" 

1849 

490 

0.  V.  Amerman. 

1868 

270 

A, 

.  McLean. 

1850 

460 

" 

1869 

317 

" 

1851 

402 

R.  A.  Clialker. 

1870 

302 

" 

1852 

381 

" 

1871 

332 

J. 

G.  Oakley. 

1858 

372 

Z.  N.  Lewis. 

1872 

275 

" 

1854 

350 

" 

1873 

280 

" 

1855 

310 

L.  H.  King;. 

1874 

220 

185G 

295 

" 

DuANE  Church.  289 

At  the  Conference  of  1874  Diiane  Church  and  Greene 
Street  were  united  under  the  charge  of  E.  S.  Osbon,  and 
so  continued  in  1875  under  J.  A.  Edmonds.  In  1876, 
however,  the  union  ceased,  and  C.  M.  Eggleston  was 
appointed  to  Duane  Church. 


1876 



C. 

M.  Eggleston. 

1884 

207 

•J. 

Rowe. 

1877 

155 

" 

1885 

109 

S. 

Lowllier. 

1878 

135 

J. 

"W.  Ackerly. 

1886 

104 

'• 

1879 

158 

" 

1887 

107 

" 

1880 

1 35 

u 

1888 

100 

J. 

J.  Dean. 

1881 

137 

Ox. 

,  W.  Terbtish. 

1889 

92 

" 

1882 

171 

J. 

Rowe. 

1890 

84 

F. 

HMmliu. 

1883 

19G 

" 

Tliis  churcli,  Uke  all  others  in  the  lower  part  of  tlie 
city,  ft)und  its  congregation  decreasing,  and  in  the  early 
part  of  18(53  the  property  was  sold.  On  April  19,  dur- 
ing the  session  of  tlie  New  York  Conference,  Avhat  were 
expected  to  be  the  closing  services  were  held.  Rev.  J. 
Z.  Nichols  and  others  officiating.  At  that  Conference 
Rev.  John  Parker  was  appolnti'd  to  the  charge,  and,  no 
arrangements  having  yet  been  made  for  a  place  of  wor- 
ship, the  use  of  the  old  building  was  obtained  for 
another  Lord's  day.  Accordingly,  Mr.  Parker  began  his 
labors  in  that  house,  and  thus  preached  the  last  sermon 
in  it  on  Sunday  evening,  April  26,  186:3.  Part  of  a 
dwelling-house  in  Hudson  Street,  opposite  what  Avas  then 
St.  John's  Park  (now  the  Hudson  River  R.  R.  Depot), 
was  hired,  and  there  the  services  were  held  until  the 
new  building  was  prepared. 

The  sale  of  the  property  was  made  under  unfavorable 
circumstances,  and  was  believed  to  be  at  less  than  its 
real  value,  although  this  may  be  a  question.  It  brought 
$56,50(1,*  and  after  paying  assessments  and  about  $5,000 
for  removing   and  re-interring  the  dead  from  its  vaults 

*  Letter  of  Mr.  S.  L.  Russell,  in  Ohristlan  Advocate,  vol.  Ix,  pp.  848, 
signed  "  A  Member  of  the  Duane  Cliurch." 


290  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

there  was  only  about  $25,000  left  for  new  property;  of 
this  $19,000  was  paid  for  land  on  which  stood  two 
stores  in  Hudson  Street,  near  Spring,  leaving  only 
$6,000  for  the  building.  This  cost  about  $33,000,  the 
balance  being  provided  for  before  the  dedication.  Rev. 
J.  McClintock,  D.D.,  preached  the  sermon  on  the  words, 
"  God  is  love."  * 

The  "  Duane  Church,"  as  it  is  now  called,  has  property 
valued  at  $30,000.  No  debt,  no  parsonage.  Salary,  $800; 
rent,  $420.  Other  collections,  $231.  Current  expenses, 
$450.     Sunday-school,  75. 

*  Letter  of  Rev.  ,1.  Parker. 


Seventh  Street,  291 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

CHURCHES:    SEYEXTH    STREET— BEDFORD  STREET— 
ALLEX  STREET  MEMORIAL— T\'ILLETT  STREET. 

seventh  street. 

[Tioo-Mile  Stone — Boujery  Village.) 

As  has  already  been  stated,*  in  1795  a  small  building 
for  a  school-house  and  place  of  worship  was  erected  at 
Two-Mile  Stone,  or  Bowery  Village.  This  stood  on  the 
south  side  of  Nicholas  William  Street,  which  ran  diag- 
onally across  the  block  between  Seventh  and  Eighth 
Streets  and  Second  and  Third  Avenues,  parallel  with  the 
present  Stuyvesant  Street.  When  t)ie  second  John 
Street  Church  was  built  (1817)  some  of  the  material  of 
the  old  building  was  used  in  a  church  which  stood  by 
the  side  of  the  school-house,  f  About  1830  this  last 
building  was  removed  a  short  distance,  but  after  a  few 
years  the  owners  of  the  adjoining  proj^erty  offered  a  gift 
of  lots  on  Seventh  Street,  if  the  church  would  remove 
again.  This  offer  was  accepted,  and  on  Thursday,  Sep- 
tember 26,  1836,  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  l)uilding 
was  laid,  Rev.  Jolm  Kennaday  preaching  on  Psa. 
cxviii,  22,  and  on  Thursday,  June  22,  1837,  the  dedica- 
tion took  place.  Rev.  N.  Levings  preached  in  the 
afternoon  on  Psa.  Ixxxix,  15,  and  Rev.  F.  Hodgson  in 
the  evening  on  2  Chron.  vi,  18.  J 

The  building  is  a  substantial  brick  edifice  seventy-two 
by  fifty-four  feet,  and  cost  $17,500,  and  is  still  occupied 

*See  p.  155.      +  See  p.  205.      \  Ghrlstian  AdvoaUe,  vol.  xi,  p.  1T9. 


292  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

by  the  congregation.  The  resident  preachers  while  it 
was  part  of  the  East  Circuit  were :  1832-3,  P.  Charaher- 
lin;  1834-5,  K  Bigelow;  1836,  S.  Merwin.  In  1837  it 
became  a  separate  charge  and  its  pastors  and  statistics 
from  that  time  were: 


YEAR.      1 

MEMBERS 

[.                        PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBER 

S.                        PASTOR. 

1837 



R.  Gilbert. 

1864 

556 

F.  Boliome. 

1838 

161 

" 

1865 

512 

■' 

1839 

211 

J.  Trippett. 

1866 

516 

G.  W.  Woodruff. 

1840 

252 

" 

1867 

470 

" 

1841 

219 

J.  B.  Wakeley. 

1863 

440 

" 

1842 

250 

" 

1869 

440 

H.  Cooke,  f 

1843 

280 

A.  M.  Osbon. 

1870 

310 

C.  Backmau. 

1844 

308 

" 

1871 

343 

" 

1845 

311 

G.  N.  Smith.* 

1872 

350 

J.  Parker,  2d. 

1846 

371 

D.  Smith. 

1873 

420 

" 

1847 

381 

•' 

1874 

335 

W.  P.  Corbit. 

1848 

400 

X.  Mead. 

1875 

260 

J.  S.  Willis. 

1849 

408 

B.  Greagh. 

1876 

216 

" 

1850 

363 

" 

1877 

184 

" 

1851 

377 

M.  L.  Scudder. 

1878 

160 

J.  L.  Gilder. 

1852 

380 

" 

1879 

170 

C.  S.  Williams. 

1853 

421 

J.  M.  Reid. 

1880 

198 

u 

1854 

379 

" 

1881 

121 

J.H.  Lightbourne. 

1855 

408 

B.  Pillsbury. 

1882 

100 

" 

1856 

417 

" 

1883 

115 

u 

1857 

412 

C.  Fletclier. 

1884 

125 

A.  C.  Morehouse. 

■1858 

495 

" 

1885 

209 

" 

1859 

394 

F.  S.  De  Hass. 

1886 

204 

" 

1860 

494 

» 

1887 

198 

W.  A.  Lay  ton. 

1861 

613 

J.  Floy. 

1888 

235 

•' 

1862 

496 

" 

1889 

218 

"' 

1863 

503 

F.  Bottome. 

1890 

167 

" 

The  membership  of  this  church,  as  will  be  perceived, 
has  never  been  asLirge  as  that  of  some  others,  and  of  late 
years  has  diminished.    It  is  now  a  "  down-town  "  church. 

Church,  $.35,000.  Parsonage,  $10,000.  No  debt. 
Salary,  $1,500.  Rent,  $800.  Other  collections,  $377. 
Current  expenses,  $800.     Sunday-school,  250. 

*Mr.  Smitli  died  October  15.  1845,  and  his  place  was  supphed  by 
L.  H.  King. 

f  Mr.  Cooke  witlidrew  during  the  year,  and  C.  Backmau  supplied. 


Bedford  Street. 


293 


BEDFORD    STREET. 


( Greemvich  Village.) 


When  Bedford  Street  became  part  of  the  West  Cir- 
cuit, C.  Prindle  had  ah-eady  been  resident  preacher  there 
for  one  year,  and  he  continued  a  second.  He  was  fol- 
lowed in  1833-4  by  J.  C.  Green;  in  1835-6  L.  Mead 
was  pastor;  and  in  1837  A.  S.  Francis,  who  was  also 
pastor  for  the  first  year  of  its  independent  career.* 
Since  then  the  reports  and  appointments  have  been : 


1839 

901 

P.  Rice. 

1865 

740 

S.  D.  Brown. 

1840 

750 

" 

1866 

762 

" 

1841 

800 

B.  Griffin. 

'  1867 

714 

" 

1842 

900 

" 

1868 

740 

J.  E.  Cookman. 

1843 

1,197 

L.  C.  Clienej. 

1869 

1,049 

•' 

1844 

1,108 

" 

1870 

1,125 

'■ 

1845 

1,057 

J.  Seys.   . 

1871 

1,110 

W.  H.  Ferris. 

1846 

915 

" 

1872 

980 

" 

1847 

768 

0.  V.  Amerrnan. 

1873 

990 

" 

1848 

776 

" 

1874 

900 

G.  H.  Gregory. 

1849 

783 

S.  Yau  Deusen. 

1875 

860 

" 

1850 

985 

•' 

1876 

925 

" 

1851 

905 

A.  Lee. 

1877 

871 

E.  S.  Osbon. 

1852 

875 

D.  L.  Marks. 

1878 

891 

" 

1853 

960 

u 

1879 

673 

G.  Van  Alstyne. 

1854 

930 

W.  C.  Smitli. 

1880 

783 

" 

1855 

840 

" 

1881 

833 

" 

1856 

760 

J.  Z.  Nichols. 

1882 

929 

W.  McK.  Darwood. 

1857 

717 

" 

1883 

576 

" 

1858 

816 

To  be  supplied,  f 

1884 

592 

(1 

1859 

932 

J.  P.  Newman. 

1885 

651 

J.  E.  Cookman. 

1860 

1,002 

J.  Poisal. 

1886 

629 

" 

1861 

875 

"  X 

1887 

627 

" 

1862 

728 

J.  B.  Hagany. 

1888 

728 

J.  S.  Chadwick.  § 

1863 

671 

" 

1889 

663 

J.  J.  Reed. 

1864 

785 

J.  W.  Lindsay. 

1890 

552 

" 

*  Its  share  of  the  debt  was  $6,:'.O0.     f  The  supply  was  J.  P.  Newman. 

\  Mr.  Poisal  resigned  during  his  second  year  because  of  liis  sympatliy 
with  the  South. 

§  Mr.  Chadwick  resigned  during  tiie  year,  and  became  Assistant 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Freedmen's  Aid  and  Southern  Educa- 
tion So?iely. 


294  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

During  the  term  of  Rev.  P.  Rice  he  preached  the  last 
sermon  in  the  old  building  on  Isa.  xlix,  20.  The  corner- 
stone of  the  new  edifice  was  laid  on  Saturday,  June  6, 
1840,  Rev.  Robert  Newton,  of  the  Wesleyan  Conference 
(Eng.),  preaching  on  Psa.  xxvi,  8,  In  the  interval  the 
congregation  met  in  a  hall  on  the  south-east  corner  of 
Hudson  and  Grove  Sti'eets,  and  on  November  19  the  new 
house  was  dedicated,  Bishop  Hedding  preaching  in  the 
afternoon.  Its  cost  was  120,000.  In  1866  a  two-story 
building  was  put  up  on  the  north-east  corner  of  the 
property,  the  first  floor  being  prepared  for  the  infant- 
class  and  the  second  for  class-rooms.  This  cost  12,500. 
A  parsonage  was  purchased  in  1874. 

The  building  is  of  brick,  with  a  basement,  above  ground, 
and  is  valued  at  160,000  ;  the  parsonage,  112,000.  Debt, 
$800.  Salary,  $2,500.  Rent,  $1,000.  Other  collections, 
$2,540.     Current  expenses,  $3,000.     Sunday-school,  371. 


ALLEN    STREET    MEMORIAL. 

{Fourth  Street — Allen  Street.) 

When  the  New  York  East  Circuit  was  set  off  Allen 
Street  was  enjoying  the  fruits  of  its  great  revival. 
Bradley  Sillick  was  the  resident  preacher.  Laban  Clark 
followed  in  1833-4,  and  J.  Kennaday  in  1835-6.  Dur- 
ing the  latter  j-ear  a  new  church  was  built.  On  Tues- 
day evening,  August  9,  1836,  Rev.  John  Kennaday 
preached  the  last  sermon  in  the  old  building  on  Neh. 
ii,  18.*  The  new  house  was  dedicated  on  Thursday, 
February  9,  1837,  when  Rev.  W.  Fisk  preached  on  Hag. 
ii,  9.  The  building  was  of  brick,  74  feet  by  62. f  When, 
therefore,  in  1837,  Allen   Street  began   its  independent 

*  See  p.  182. 

f  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xi,  p.  102.  A  paper  found  .'inioiig 
the  okl  records   of  Allen  Street  gives  the  following  items:     Allen 


Allen  SStrekt  Memokial. 


295 


history,  it  was  with  a  new  edifice,  and  no  Methodist 
cliurch  in  the  city  had  a  more  able  and  zealous  band  of 
laborers.  It  included  Nicholas  Schureman,  Samuel  Hal- 
stead,  Schureman  Halstead,  Dr.  W.  C.  Palmer,  Henry 
Moore,  Samuel  Martin,  Joshua  Martin,  Andrew  C. 
Wheeler,  Francis  M.  Godine,  Samuel  Patterson,  William 
Miller,  and  others  of  great  ability. 

Its   pastors   and  membership   during   the  succeeding 
years  were: 


YEAR. 

MEMBEKS. 

FASTOR. 

YKAR. 

MEMBEBl 

5.                             PASTOR. 

1837 



J.  B.  Stratteu. 

1864 

680 

J.  A.  Roche. 

1888 

661 

'• 

1865 

625 

" 

1839 

762 

J.  L.  Gilder. 

1866 

570 

L.  S.  Weed. 

1840 

1,005 

'• 

1867 

520 

'• 

1841 

1,012 

J.  Poisal. 

1868 

476 

'• 

1842 

1,050 

" 

1869 

460 

G.  L.  Taylor. 

1843 

1,225 

R.  Seney. 

1870 

479 

W.  McAllister. 

1844 

945 

'• 

1871 

516 

" 

1845 

955 

L.  M.  Vincent. 

1872 

485 

" 

1846 

916 

■      li 

1873 

515 

W.  D.  Thompson. 

1847 

968 

B.  Creagli. 

1874 

308 

" 

1848 

825 

" 

1875 

250 

C.  E.  Harris. 

1849 

732 

S.  S.  Strong. 

1876 

367 

" 

1850 

750 

" 

1877 

299 

G.  W.  Woodruff. 

1851 

722 

C.  H.  Whitecar. 

1878 

303 

" 

1852 

720 

" 

1879 

262 

C.  P.  Corner. 

1853 

610 

M.  L.  Scudder. 

1880 

202 

R.  C.  Putney. 

1854 

536 

" 

1881 

224 

" 

1855 

436 

H.  Bangs. 

1882 

191 

J.  Suuisbur\'. 

1856 

"625 

" 

1883 

257 

" 

1857 

504 

J.  A.  Roche. 

1884 

253 

" 

1858 

664 

" 

1885 

227 

S.  H.  Smith. 

1859 

660 

T.  G.  Osborne. 

1886 

161 

" 

1860 

591 

" 

1887 

134 

C.  M.  Pegg. 

1861 

G41 

S    H.  Smith. 

1888 

136 

" 

1862 

694 

" 

1889* 

174 

I.  M.  Foster. 

1863 

729 

J.  A.  Roche. 

1890 

114 

" 

Street  was  organized  as  a  separate  church  July  5,  1836.  It  re- 
ceived as  its  share  of  the  property  four  lots  and  the  church  and  par- 
sonage and  one  fifth  of  the  burial-ground  corner  of  First  Street  and 
Second  Avenue,  and  of  the  property  and  burial-ground  at  Williams- 
burg, L.  I,  It  assumed  as  its  portion  of  the  debt  $4,535  21.  The 
new  church  and  two  houses  cost  $26,885  78. 
*  Name  changed  to  Allen  Street  Memorial. 
20 


296  A  History  ok  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

The  cliaiige  in  tlie  character  of  the  population  in  the 
neighborhood  had  greatly  reduced  the  congregation, 
and  the  trains  on  the  elevated  road  in  front  were  a  se- 
rious annoyance,  and  on  April  29,  1888,  the  last  services 
were  held  in  the  building.  Bishop  Foss  preached  in 
the  morning  and  Rev.  M.  D'C.  Crawford,  formerly  a 
member  of  the  society  there,  in  the  evening.*  The 
property  was  sold  for  a  Jewish  synagogue.  The  so- 
ciety has  been  consolidated  Avith  that  of  Attorney 
Street,  and  a  Jewish  synagogue  on  Rivington  Street, 
between  Ludlow  and  Orchard  Streets,  has  been  pur- 
chased and  reconstructed  by  the  City  Church  Extension 
Society.  The  old  name  will  be  kept  in  recollection  in 
the  new  title,  which  will  be  "  The  Allen  Street  Memo- 
rial." 

The  ])roperty  is  valued  at  1108,000.  Debt,  $8,000. 
Salary,  11,160.  Rent,  |900.  Other  collections,  $104. 
Current  expenses,  $900.     Sunday-school,  329. 


W  I  L  L  E  T  T     STREET. 

(Mission  House.) 

In  the  minutes  of  the  leaders'  meeting  of  June  16, 
1813,  among  the  appointments  for  prayer-meetings  is 
one  apparently  new,  at  the  house  of  James  Woods, 
This,  we  are  told,f  was  in  Lewis  Street,  between  Grand 
and  Broome  Streets,  a  part  of  the  city  then  very  thinly 
settled,  and  not  generally  graded.  In  a  short  time  the 
rooms  and  stair-way  and  hall  of  the  dwelling  became 
crowded,  and  in  the  early  part  of  1819  a  school-room 
was  rented  in  Broome  Street,  near  Lewis,  and  regular 
preaching  was  begun.     Not  long  before  March,  1820,]; 

*  ChrisHan  Advocate,  vol.  Ixiii,  p.  :'i01. 

f  Paper  of  W.  G.  Boggs.  %  Truslees'  miiiuLcti  of  date. 


WiLLETT  Street.  297 

the  trustees  had  bought  four  lots  at  Mount  Pitt,  but  tlie 
debt  incurred  in  the  building  of  John  Street  and  Bow- 
ery Village,  together  with.the  embarrassment  in  business 
at  the  time,  led  the  board  to  hesitate.  Just  then  the 
Presbyterian  Missionary  Board  had  erected  a  house  on 
Broome  Street,  but  the  mission  not  meeting  with  much 
success  they  proposed  to  lease  it  to  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  This  offer  was  accepted  in  May,  ISlfl, 
and  the  building  known  as  the  ^lission  House  was  im- 
mediately filled  to  overflowing.  It  was  occupied  for 
about  six  years,  and  in  1823  a  xevy  gracious  work  be- 
gan and  continued  for  several  years.  On  October  16, 
1825,  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  building  was  laid  on 
the  site  in  Willett  Street  between  Grand  and  Broome 
Streets,  bought  in  1819,  and  on  May  7,  1826,  the  dedi- 
cation took  place,  Bishop  McKendree  preaching  in  the 
morning.  Bishop  Hedding  in  the  afternoon,  and  Bishop 
Soule  in  the  evening.  The  house  was  of  stone,  stuc- 
coed, seventy-two  by  fifty-four  feet,  with  a  basement 
more  above  ground  than  any  of  the  other  Methodist 
Episcopal  churches  in  the  city  at  that  time.  The  pulpit, 
like  that  of  John  Street,  was  between  the  doors.  The 
good  work  continued,  and  by  the  close  of  the  year  more 
than  one  hundred  had  been  received  on  trial.  Before 
the  Conference  of  1827  there  were  twelve  classes  and 
five  hundred  and  forty  members.* 

When,  in  1832,  the  city  was  divided  into  two  circuits, 
B.  Griffin  was  the  resident  preacher  in  Willett  Street. 
He  returned  in  1833,  and  was  followed  in  1834-35  by 
J.  Young,  and  in  1836,  b}^  S.  Remington.  During 
that  year  it  became,  like  the  other  churches  on  the  East 
Circuit,  an  independent  charge.  It  received,  in  the  divis- 
ion  of    the    pro[)erty,    its    church  building,    valued    at 

*  L.  Clark,  in  Methodist  Magazine  of  1827,  p.  126.      Paper  of  W.  G. 

BORKS. 


298  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

122,000,  its  parsonage  at  ^4,500,  a  mortgage  of  |3,000 
on  property  in  A¥illiamsburg  (Brooklyn,  E.  D.),  and 
in  cash  ^496  50.  It  had  also  an  interest  in  the  burying- 
ground,  estimated  to  be  worth  $2,500 — in  all  |32,496  50. 
It  assumed  as  its  sliare  of  the  debt  ^6,783  50,  so  that  it 
started  with  a  net  property  of  $25,713.* 
The  appointments  and  reports  have  been: 


YEAR.    ^ 

.tEMBKRS 

PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

1837 



S.  Remington. 

1864 

517 

C.  Kelsey. 

1838 

736 

N.  Kellog-g. 

1865 

445 

" 

1839 

741 

•' 

1866 

517 

'• 

1840 

612 

M.  Richardson. 

18G7 

440 

J.  W.  Home. 

1841 

570 

'• 

1868 

448 

u 

1842 

830 

P.  C.  Oakley. 

1869 

510 

" 

1843 

933 

" 

1870 

375 

J.  S.  Haugh. 

1844 

700 

P.  Rice. 

1871 

319 

" 

1845 

664 

" 

1872 

386 

G.  Taylor. 

1846 

631 

B.  Goodsell. 

1873 

327 

" 

1847 

576 

" 

1874 

343 

J.  V.  Saunders. 

1848 

639 

J.  G.  Smith. 

1875 

360 

" 

1849 

675 

" 

1876 

378 

Tobesnpplied.f 

•1850 

606 

W.  K.  Stopford. 

1877 

390 

J.  E.  Searles. 

1851 

638 

" 

1878 

465 

u 

1852 

516 

H.  F.  Pease. 

1879 

450 

J.  S.  Stansbury. 

1853 

513 

" 

1880 

450 

" 

1854 

475 

J.  E.  Searles. 

1881 

344 

It 

1855 

454 

" 

1882 

331 

J.  E.  Searles. 

1856 

459 

W.  McAllister. 

1883 

288 

" 

1857 

521 

" 

1884 

270 

" 

1 858 

576 

C.  Kelsey. 

1885 

289 

W.  H.  Boole. 

1859 

575 

'• 

1886 

333 

" 

1860 

562 

J.  E.  Searles. 

1887 

287 

" 

1861 

615 

1888  Xo  rep't 

,.  M.  F.  Compton. 

1862 

650 

W.  McAllister. 

1889 

312 

" 

1863 

635 

" 

1890 

304 

" 

This  church  has  been  favored  with  frequent  revivals, 
and  has  been  the  scene  of  many  interesting  incidents. 
In  1827  Rev.  V.  Buck  preached  on  the  general  judg- 
ment, and  at  the  close  of  the  sermon,  when  the  invitation 
was  given  to  come  to  the  altar,  the  whole  congregation 
seemed  to  be  on  their  feet.  The  altar  was  soon  crowded, 
and  a  gracious  revival  followed,  among  the  subjects  of 

*  Record  at  Willett  Street.  f  The  supply  was  J.  E.  Searles. 


Wii,i,KTT  Street.  299 

which  was  Rev.  O.  G.  Hedstrom.*  One  Sunday  after- 
noon Rev.  G.  Coles  took  for  his  text,  "Give  attendance 
to  reading"  (1  Tim.  iv,  13).  After  telling  the  people 
what  books  were  best  adapted  to  the  old  and  to  the 
young,  to  the  married  and  to  the  unmarried,  to  the 
impulsive  and  to  the  phlegmatic,  he  added,  "These 
books  can  all  be  bought  at  the  Book  Room,"  and  closed 
with  the  benediction. f 

I'he  singing  was  for  many  years  conducted  by  Joseph 
Johnson,  who  sat  in  the  body  of  the  church.  The  state 
of  his  mind  could  always  be  known  by  his  singing.  If 
he  was  in  a  happy  frame  it  would  be  so  fast  that 
it  was  difficult  to  keep  up  with  him;  but  if  not,  it 
would  be  so  slow  that  it  was  equally  difficult  to  drag 
along  at  the  same  pace.  A  choir  was  at  length  intro- 
duced, and  on  a  Sunday  morning  not  long  after  its 
appearance  the  presiding  elder  (D.  Ostrander)  occupied 
the  pulpit.  He  gave  out  the  hymn  and  the  chorister 
began  to  play  on  a  bass-viol.  "Who  brought  that 
fiddle  into  the  church?"  shouted  the  elder;  "take  it 
right  out!  "  And  he  would  not  pi-each  until  it  was 
removed.]; 

The  society  still  occupies  the  building  erected  in 
1826,  and  which  is  the  oldest  Methodist  church  edifice 
in  the  city.  With  the  exception  of  the  removal  of  the 
pulpit  from  between  the  doors  to  the  other  end,  and 
various  improvements  from  time  to  time,  it  remains  sub- 
stantially the  same  as  when  erected. 

Church,  $60,000.  Parsonage,  $9,000.  No  debt. 
Salary,  $1,500.  Rent,  1600.  Other  collections,  1624. 
Current  expenses,  |1,450.     Sunday-school,  250. 

*  A  sermon  by  Rev.  D.  Ostrander  on  Rev.  iii,  20,  produced  a  sim- 
ilar effect.     Paper  of  Rev.  S.  W.  King. 

f  Paper  of  W.  G.  Boggs.  t  Ihid. 


300    A  History  <^)F  Methodisisi  ix  New  Yopac  City, 


CHAPTER   XXYI. 

CHURCHES:  HARLEM  MISSIOX— TWEXTT-SEYEXTH 
STREET— SAIXT  JAMES— FORTY-THIRD  STREET- 
PARK  AYEXUE. 

HARLEM    MISSION. 

(Tioeyity-seventh    and   Forty-first   Streets — Manhatlun    Missiwi — Harltfin 
and  Torkvilk.) 

Before  1830  more  than  one  half  of  New  York  Isl- 
and Wiis  without  regular  Methodist  preaching.  Sev- 
enth Street  (or  Bowery  Village),  on  the  east  side,  and 
Eighteenth  Street  (or  Upper  Greenwich),  on  the  west 
side,  were  the  frontier  churches.  At  the  House  of  Ref- 
nge,  which  stood  on  what  is  now  Madison  Square,  there 
was  preaching,  it  is  true,  generally  by  local  preachers, 
attended,  no  doubt,  by  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
neighVjorhood,  and  there  are  indications  of  visits  to 
Rose  Hill  by  the  stationed  preachers  of  the  cit}^  From 
Twenty-third  Street  to  Harlem  River  there  weie  no 
houses  of  worshij)  of  any  denomination  except  two 
Reformed  (Dutch)  churches,  one  at  Bloomingdale  and 
one  at  Harlem,  and  a  few,  perhaps  four,  Protestant 
Episcopal  churches.  But  as  far  as  Methodism  was  con- 
cerned this  region,  in  which  are  now  some  of  her  larg- 
est congregations  and  most  of  her  finest  church  edifices, 
was  virtually  uncultivated. 

In  1830,  however,  a  beginning  Avas  made,  and  the 
honor  of  being  pioneer  in  the  work  fell  to  Rev.  Ira 
Ferris.  School-liouses  and  private  houses  Avere  occupied 
for  public  worship,  and  before  long  small  churches 
were  erected   and  preparations  made  for  supplying  the 


IIaklem  Mission,  301 

spiritual  wants  of  the  multitudes  who  were  soon  to  oc- 
cupy the  ground.  A  general  account  of  this  field  un- 
til it  became  divided  into  separate  charges  is  necessary, 
but  many  particulars  will  be  more  appropriately  intro- 
duced in  the  history  of  the  several  churches. 

For  about  ten  years  its  boundaries  remained  as  at 
first.     Its  statistics  and  preachers  weie: 

YEAR.         MEMBERS.  PASTOE.  YEAR.  MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

1830  —  Ira  Ferris.  1887  No  rep't.  D.  De  Vinne, 

1881  68  R.  Seaman.  J.  Floy. 

1832  78  "  1838       162       J.C.Tackaberry, 

1833  73  R.  Seaman,  Slip.,  J.  Floy. 

S.  Hueston.*  1839       230      J.  C.  Tackaberry, 

1834  77       R.  Seaman,  sup.  S.H.Clark. 

1835  101       J.   Luckey,  one         1840       238       E.  Osborn. 

to  be  .supplied.        1841        267 

1836  109       J.  Luckey, 

D.  De  Vinne. 

At  the  Conference  of  1841  the  circuit  was  divided, 
Twenty-seventh  Street  and  Forty-first  Street  becoming 
one  charge,  and  Harlem  (including  Yorkville)  another. 
The  reports  for  Twenty-seventh  and  Forty-first  Street 
were: 

YEAR.  MEMBERS.  PASTOR.  YEAR.  MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

1841  —    B.  Howe.        1843   227    J.  Z.  Nichols. 

1842  163    J.  Z.  Nichols. 

In  1844  Twenty-seventh  Street  had  210  members, 
and  Forty-first  Street  had  65  members.  At  the  Con- 
ference of  1844  the  charges  separated,  E.  Andrews  be- 
ing appointed  to  Twenty-seventh  Street  and  W.  B. 
Hoyt  to  Forty-first  Street. 

In  1841  Harlem  received  S.  U.  Fisher.  We  have  also  the 
name  Manhattan  Mission,  which  it  is  believed  included 
Yorkville  :ind  Manhattanville.  To  this  R.  Seaman  is  ap- 
pointed as  supernumerary.     In  1842  the  Minutes  read, 

*  Mr.  Hueston  did  not  enter  on  the  work.  He  was  an  officer  in 
the  navy  and  could  not  get  his  discliarue.  Dr.  "W.  Booth  seems  to 
have  -iupplied.     See  trustees'  minutes,  Sept.  18,  1833. 


302  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  Yop.k  City. 

"  Harlem  German  Miss.  71."  Whether  this  was  the  re- 
port of  the  German  work  or  of  tlie  Harlem  society  it  is 
impossible  to  tell.  We  have  also,  "  Manhattan  Miss.  25." 
In  1842  it  is,  "  Harlem  and  Yorkville,  R.  Seaman." 

YEAR.       MEMBERS.  PASTOR.  YKAR.         MBMBKKS.  PASTOR. 

1843  123    R.  Seaman,  sup.,    1844   113       

S.  A.  Seamau. 

At  this  Conference  of  1844  Harlem  and  Yorkville 
became  separate  charges. 

Other  Methodist  organizations  which  have  come  in 
on  this  territory  had  no  connection  with  the  old  Har- 
lem Mission.  Sixty  years  have  passed  and  there  are 
now  on  this  ground  twenty-three  churches  (not  includ- 
ing the  German  work),  with  a  membership  of  nearly 
7,500  and  a  property  of  more  than  two  millions  of  dol- 
lars (churches,  $1,881,000;  parsonages,  8233,000).  Such 
results  the  writer  knows  were  not  anticipated  by  those 
who  at  first  toiled  and  sacrificed  in   this  field. 


twenty-seventh   street. 

(/?o.se   Hill.) 

About  1823  a  Sunday-school  had  been  organized  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Rose  Hill,  under  the  care  of  the 
New  York  Female  Union  Society.  In  1827,  by  which 
time  it  seems  to  have  come  under  Methodist  control,  it 
met  at  a  school-house  belonging  to  Mr.  Benjamin  Dis- 
brow,  on  the  south  side  of  Twenty-eighth  Street,  be- 
tween Third  and  Lexington  Avenues.  Here  also  there 
was  preaching  occasionally,  generally  by  local  preachers, 
though  sometimes  the  stationed  preachers  of  the  city 
officiated,*  W^hen  the  first  class  was  formed  is  uncer- 
tain.    One   statement   is  that  it  was  in  May,  1827;  an- 

*In  the  stewards'  accounts  of  April,  1829  (book  15),  Rose  Hill  is 
credited  with  a  quarterly  collection  of  $4  46,  and  there  are  also  reports 
of  three  sacramental  collections  iu  the  same  year. 


Twenty-seventh  Street.  303 

other  witness  (Thomas  Vaughn)  says  it  was  orjjjanized 
by  Thomas  Burch  in  the  fall  of  1828,  and  Rev.  S. 
Luckey  assigns  it  to  November,  1829.  Benjamin 
Disbrovv  appears  to  have  been  the  first  leader,  but  was 
soon  succeeded  by  Thomas  Vaughn.  When  Ira  Ferris, 
tiie  first  preacher  appointed  to  the  Harlem  Mission,  came 
to  his  work  in  1830  this  was  the  only  class  he  found,* 

During  the  ministry  of  Rev.  John  Luckey  a  small 
church  was  put  up  across  the  rear  of  two  lots  on  the 
south  side  of  Twenty-seventh  Street,  a  little  east  of 
Third  Avenue,  costing  about  |2,000.  It  was  opened 
in  May,  1836,  with  a  sermon  by  Rev.  J.  Kennaday, 
followed  by  one  from  Rev.  J.  C.  Tackaberry. 

As  already  stated,  at  the  Conference  of  1841  Twen- 
ty-seventh Street  and  Forty-first  Street  Avere  set  off  as 
a  self-sustaining  charge. f 

In  1842  three  lots  on  the  north  side  of  Twenty- 
seventh  Street,  between  Second  and  Third  Avenues, 
were  bought  for  |2,700,  and  on  Monday,  August  15, 
the  corner-stone  of  a  new  building  was  laid  by  Dr.  N. 
Bangs,  after  a  sermon  by  Rev.  J.  Poisal,  on  2  Cor. 
ii,  14.  On  January  20,  1843,  it  was  dedicated  by  Dr. 
Bangs.  Rev.  S.  Olin,  D.D.,  recently  returned  from 
Europe,  preached  at  2:30  P.  M.,  on  1  Cor.  i,  22-25. 
Rev.  J.  Dempster,  D.D.,  ofticiated  in  the  evening,  and 
Dr.  Bangs,  Rev.  J.  Sewell,  and  Rev.  J.  B.  Wakeley 
on  the  following  Sunday.  The  building  was  48  by  60 
feet,  and  cost,  exclusive  of  the  ground,  but  including 
the  parsonage,  about  $7,000.  But  on  Saturday  night, 
November  19,  1848,  during  the  ministry  of  Rev.  J.  B. 
Stratten,  the  church  and   parsonage  and   public  school 

*For  the  appointments  and  statistics  while  this  society  was  con- 
nected with  tlie  Harlem  Mission,  see  Harlem  Mission. 

f  For  the  appointments  and  statistics  for  the  time  tliey  were  to- 
gether, see  Harlem  Mission. 


31)4  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City, 


and  other  buildings  in  the  neighborhood,  and  also  the 
old  church  on  the  other  side  of  the  street,  were  burned 
to  the  ground,*  On  June  7,  1849,  however,  a  new  edifice 
was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Janes.  He  preached  at  three 
P.  M.  on  1  Chron.  xvi,  29.  J.  B.  Wakeley  preached 
in  the  evening,  and  on  the  following  Sunday  Dr.  N. 
Bangs,  Rev.  D.  W.  Clark,  and  Rev.  E.  E.  Griswold. 

This  last  building,  which  is  still  occupied  by  the  con- 
gregation, is  of  brick,  50  feet  by  75,  with  a  basement 
nearly  above  ground.  The  cost  of  rebuilding  the  church 
and  parsonage  was  about  $11,000.  The  following  are 
the  statistics  and  pastors: 


YKAR.  MRMBKRS.  PASTOR. 

1844  210     E.  Andre ws.f 

1845  209     D.  Curry. 

1846  211     S.C.Perry. 

1847  241 

1848  2.36     J.  B.  Stnitteii. 

1849  209  " 

1850  310     J.J.  Matthias. 

1851  .385 

1852  406     J.  Floy. 
185.3  405  " 

1854  410     D.  Curry  and  V. 

Buck.:]: 

1855  394     G.  Taylor. 

1856  312 

1857  336 

1858  708 

1859  553 

1860  571 

1861  543 

1862  602 

1863  588 

1864  504 

1865  .  475 

1866  503     G.  L.  Thompson. 


T.  G.  Osborne. 
C.  Fletcher. 
"W.  F.Watkins. 
S.  A.  Seamau. 


YKAR.  MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

1867  487  C.  B.  Sing. 

1868  460       " 

1869  432 

1870  414  J.  E.  Searles. 

1871  359  J.  Dickinson. 

1872  309 

1873  287  W.  H.  Wardell. 

1874  290       " 

1875  251  W.  W.  Clark. 

1876  300 

1877  305       " 

1878  300  C.  E.  Glover. 

1879  286 

1880  280 

1881  253  J.  Dickinson. 

1882  242 

1883  265     C.  J.  North. 

1884  226       " 

1885  273 

1886  249  M.  Y.  Bovard. 

1887  262 

1888  276 

1889  275     B.  F.  Kidder. 

1890  286 


*  This  and  a  small  frame  building  in  Twenty-fourth  Street  are  the  only 
Methodist  Episcopal  churches  in  New  York  city  which  have  been  burned. 

f  Mr.  Andrews  was  drowned  in  the  summer  of  1844.  D.  Curry 
supplied. 

}:Tiiis  appointment  includes  Thirty-seventh  Street,  as  does  also  the 
statistical  report  for  1855. 


TWKNTY-SEVENTII    StKKET.  I^OS 

This  church  has  been  favored  with  many  gracious 
revivals,  that  during  the  ministry  of  Rev.  T.  G.  Os- 
borne, in  the  fall  of  1857,  being  probably  the  most  re- 
markable. For  many  years  the  congregation  filled  the 
building,  but  the  influx  of  a  foreign  population  has  led 
to  a  decrease.     But  it  is  still  vigorous  and  successful. 

On  the  wall  at  the  west  side  of  the  pulpit  is  a  tablet 
to  the  memory  of  Rev.  Amos  W.  Brown,  for  many 
years  a  local  preacher  and  class-leader.  Fifty-three 
members  of  this  church  served  in  the  war  of  the  re- 
bellion, seven  of  whom  laid  down  their  lives  in  the  serv- 
ice. The  ladies  organized  the  Rose  Hill  Soldiers'  Aid 
Society,  which  did  good  service  in  providing  for  the 
inmates  of  the  military  hospitals.  For  many  years 
also  teachers  from  this  church  conducted  the  Sunday- 
school  at  the  Colored  Orphan  Asylum  (Fifth  Avenue, 
between  Forty-third  and  Forty-fourth  Streets),  until  its 
destruction  by  the  rioters  in  1863  caused  its  removal 
to  a  distance  too  great  to  permit  of  their  continuing 
their  work. 

Church  (which  has  lately  been  much  improved), 
1.30,000.  Parsonage,  $8,000.  No  debt.  Salary,  *  1,500. 
Rent,  $600.  Other  collections,  $674.  Current  expenses, 
$2,146.     Sunday-school,  285. 


ST.      J  A  M  E  S. 

( Harlem.) 

The  first  place  occujiied  for  Methodist  preaching  at 
Harlem  was  the  house  of  Mr,  John  James,  in  125th 
Street,  between  Third  and  Lexington  Avenues.*    Thence 

*For  this  and  many  other  particulars  see  Hldory  of  St..  James, 
Harlem,  by  W.  B.  Silber,  LL.D.  Mr.  James  was  for  many  years  a 
class-leader  and  trnstee  of  the  Harlem  church,  and  his  widow  is  still 
a  member  of  St.  James  (1890). 


306  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  \\)RK  City. 

the  services  were  removed  to  the  store  part  of  a  IjuiM- 
ing  on  the  north-east  corner  of  Third  Avenue  and  12oth 
Street,  and  in  May,  1831,  to  the  Academy,  on  120th 
Street,  between  Second  and  Third  Avenues.  Prayer- 
meetings  and  class-meetings  were  held  at  the  house  of 
Mrs.  Lloyd,  near  the  corner  of  Third  Avenue  and  121st 
Street.  On  June  4,  1832,  trustees  were  elected,*  and 
soon  after  eight  lots,  having  on  them  a  house  and  barn, 
were  purchased  of  Daniel  P.  Ingraham,  Esq.,  on  125th 
and  126th  Streets,  between  Third  and  Fourth  Avenues, 
for  •ii!2,000.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  July  18,  1833, 
Rev.  N.  B;ings,  D.D.,  preaching  on  1  Cor.  iii,  10-15,  and 
the  dedication  took  place  on  Thursday  afternoon,  De- 
cember 12,  Rev.  John  Kennaday  officiating  and  tnking 
as  his  text  Col.  i,  28.  The  building  was  of  frame,  45 
by  60  feet,  with  a  basement  not  much  below  the  level 
of  the  street,  and  Avithout  galleries.f  Its  pastors  and 
statistics  until  it  became  an  altogether  separate  charge 
have  already  been  given. J  Since  that  period  they  were 
as  follows  : 


1844 

IKMBKRS 

PASTOR. 

G.  Taylor. 

YEAR. 

1857 

105 

PASTOR. 

J.  C.  Washburn. 

1845 

70 

M.  K.  Willing. 

1858 

245 

" 

1846 

76 

S.  D.  Ferguson,  sup 

..        1859 

270 

B.  M.  Adams. 

1847 

59 

" 

1860 

228 

" 

1848 

132 

R.  C.  Putney. 

1861 

236 

J.  B.  Wakeley. 

1849 

135 

u 

1862 

112 

" 

1850 

121 

T.  Bainbridge. 

1863 

133 

J.  E.  Cook  man. 

1851 

94 

'■ 

1864 

227 

" 

1852 

103 

A.  S.  Lakin. 

1865 

217 

J.  L.  G.  McKown. 

1853 

101 

" 

1866 

230 

" 

1854 

105 

J.  B.  Cocaacne. 

1867 

290 

" 

1855 

95 

P.  Ward.  ' 

1868 

272 

G.  H.  Corey. 

1856 

138 

" 

1869 

262 

" 

*They  were  Joseph  Smith,  Andrew  C.  Wheeler,  Benjamin  Disbrow, 
Isaac  Piatt,  Thomas  Vaughn,  John  Van  Wart,  and  John  James. 

f  It  was  removed  to  the  south-east  corner  of  1 25lh  Street  and  Lex- 
ington Avenue,  where  it  is  occupied  as  a  court-room. 

I  See  Harlem  Mission. 


St. 

Jaaip;s. 

VEAK.     1 

ttEMBERS 

1.                       PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBER! 

PASTOR. 

1870 

268 

G.  H.  Corey. 

1881 

523 

J. 

M.  King. 

1871* 

254 

H.  B.  Ridgai 

ffay. 

1882 

605 

A. 

D.  Vail. 

1872 

305 

" 

1883 

645 

" 

1873 

331 

" 

1884 

675 

" 

1874 

323 

C.  D.  Foss. 

1885 

727 

H. 

Baker. 

1875 

351 

" 

1886 

670 

" 

1876 

386 

W.  R.  Davis 

1887 

673 

" 

1877 

406 

1888 

643 

0. 

H.  Tiffany. 

1878 

405 

" 

1889 

720 

" 

1879 

427 

J.  M.  King. 

1890 

573 

J. 

E.  Price. 

1880 

554 

" 

307 


In  1859  it  was  proposed  to  enlarge  tiie  old  Iniilding, 
but  the  plan  was  abandoned.  In  1S69,  however,  the 
opening  of  Lexington  Avenue  through  the  property 
made  a  removal  necessary,  and  lots  were  obtained  on 
the  corner  of  Madison  Avenue  and  126tli  Street.  The 
corner-stone  was  laid  April  9,  1870,  by  Bishop  Janes  ; 
and  on  November  13  the  chapel  was  opened  with  a  ser- 
mon by  the  pastor.  Rev.  G.  H.  Corey.  The  dedication 
took  place  May  14,  1871,  Bishop  Janes  preaching  in 
the  morning  on  Is:i.  vi,  1-8,  Rev.  B.  I.  Ives  in  the 
afternoon  on  2  Cor,  iv,  4,  and  Rev.  J.  P.  Newman  in 
the  evening  on  Isa.  xxi,  11.  The  cost  of  land,  build- 
ing, p.irsonage,  and  furnishings  was  'ii>  123,000,  of  which 
$46,500  had  been  raised,  140,000  was  to  be  funded 
as  a  debt,  and  the  congregation  was  asked  to  con- 
tribute $36,500.  Of  this  $33,000  was  subscribed  in  the 
morning,  and  the  rest  before  the  close  of  the  evening 
services. 

The  building  is  a  very  fine  one  and  well  located.  It 
is  of  brown  stone,  and  has  a  chapel  on  126ih  Street  and 
a  parsonage  on  Madison  Avenue. 

Church,  $120,000.  Parsonage,  $15,000.  Debt,  $31,000, 
Salary,  $3,600.  Rent,  $1,500.  Other  collections,  $3,969, 
Current  expenses,  $6,532,     Sunday-school,  583. 

*  111  1871  the  name  was  changed  to  St.  James. 


308  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


FORTY-THIRD    STREET. 

(Forty-first  Street — Blooynvujdale  MethodiM  Episcopal  Church.) 

The  Rev.  Ii-a  Ferris,  the  first  preacher  appointed  to 
the  Harlem  Mission  (1880),  says,  in  a  letter  to  the  au- 
thor, that  one  of  tlie  places  where  he  established  preach- 
ing was  at  "  Brother  William  R.  White's,  between  the 
large  glass  factory  and  old  chemical  works  on  the 
Eiohth  Avenue."  At  the  meetinor  of  the  board  of  trust- 
ees  of  the  churches  of  New  York  city  on  September  18, 
1833,  application  was  made  for  the  use  of  a  building  in 
Forty-third  Street  on  ground  lately  purchased  by  them. 
This  was  granted,  and  also  on  October  2,  $100  was  allowed 
to  assist  in  removing  the  l)uilding  and  j)reparing  it  for 
public  worship.  The  site  selected  was  on  the  north  side  of 
Forty-firstStreet,  between  Broadway  and  Eighth  Avenue, 
and  the  congregation  occupied  the  house  about  January  1, 
1835.''^  Until  1841  the  appointment  continued  to  be  a 
part  of  the  Harlem  Mission.  At  that  date  it  was  set  off 
with  Twenty-seventh  Street,  and  so  continued  until 
1844,  when  it  became  an  independent  charge. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  present  church  in  Forty-third 
Street  was  laid  September  26,  1850,  after  an  address  by 
Dr.  Kennaday.f  The  dedication  took  place  on  Wednes- 
day, October  1,  1851,  Bishop  Janes  officiating.  The 
building  cost  815,000.  It  is  of  brick,  with  a  basement 
]n-incipally  above  ground.  The  appointments  and  mem- 
bership have  been: 


YEAR.     1 

MEMBERS 

1.                 PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBER!! 

1.                          PASTOR. 

1844 

65 

W.  B.  Hoyt. 

1850 

114 

J.  W.  Macomber. 

1845 

94 

'• 

1851 

155 

" 

1846 

85 

E.  S.  Stout. 

1852 

163 

J.  N.  Shaffer. 

1847 

251 

" 

1853 

181 

P.  L.  Hoyt. 

1848 

248 

T.  BaiDV)ndge. 

1854 

216 

H.  Loiinsbury. 

1849 

137 

■' 

1855 

165 

" 

*  Christian  Advocalt;,  vol.  ix,  p.  70.  \  Ibid.,  vol.  xxv,  p.  154. 


Forty-third  Street.  309 


YEAR. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS 

1.        PASTOR. 

1856 

248 

J. 

B.  Wakeley. 

1874 

575 

W.  H.  Mickle. 

1857 

210 

'■ 

1875 

455 

11 

1858 

267 

L. 

W.  Peck. 

1876 

530 

" 

1859 

320 

" 

1877 

524 

G.  H.  Gregory. 

1860 

387 

A. 

Davis. 

1878 

540 

1861 

367 

H, 

.  J.  Fox. 

1879 

604 

" 

1862 

430 

" 

1880 

587 

W.  H.  Mickle. 

1863 

418 

L. 

H.  King. 

1881 

622 

" 

186-i 

490 

•' 

1882 

598 

" 

1865 

525 

" 

1883 

600 

M.  S.  Terry. 

1866 

650 

R. 

C.  Putney. 

1884 

513 

" 

1867 

460 

•' 

1885 

553 

J.  S.  Chadwick 

1868 

543 

J. 

P.  Hermance. 

1886 

604 

" 

1869 

521 

" 

1887 

565 

.' 

1870 

489 

" 

1888 

598 

B.  Lane. 

1871 

471 

L. 

H.  King. 

1889 

575 

" 

1872 

615 

" 

1890 

573 

F.  L.  Wilson. 

1873 

590 

" 

Church,  $70,000.  Parsonage,  $15,000.  Debt,  14,000. 
Salary,  $2,o0n.  Rent,  $1,100.  Other  collections,  $1,972. 
Current  expenses,  $1,697.     Sunday-school,  480. 


PARK    AVENUE. 

(  Ym-kvillt — Eighty-sixth  Street.) 

Yorkville  (or  Harlem  Heights,  as  it  was  frequently 
called)  was,  no  doubt,  one  of  the  first  places  selected 
on  the  Harlera  Mission  ground  as  a  place  for  preaching. 
It  would  seem,  however,  that  the  services  had  not  been 
regularly  kept  up,  for  the  Rev.  Daniel  De  Vinne  says 
that  shortly  after  he  came  on  the  circuit,  in  the  summer  of 
1836,  "having  no  place  for  morning  service  I  procured 
a  vacant  room  on  Third  Avenue,  nearly  opposite  Haz- 
ard's Tavern  (corner  of  Eighty-fifth  Street),  over  a  rum- 
selling  grocery.*  The  first  congregation  consisted  of 
five  persons."!     Afterward,  the  place  of  meeting  was 

*An  engraving  of  Hazard's  Tavern  can  be  found  in  Valentine's 
Manual  for  1859. 

f  Letter  of  Rev.  D.  De  Vinne  in  Forty  Years  of  Methodism  in  Evjhty- 
sixth  Street,  New  York,  p.  26. 


,310  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

cbano;ed  to  the  house  of  Gilbert  Bates,  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Third  Avenue  and  Eighty-fourth  Street,  and 
there,  it  is  said,  on  March  6,  183V,  the  first  election  of 
trustees  Avas  held.*  The  society  at  Bowery  Village 
being  about  to  erect  a  new  church,  offered  for  sale 
that  which  they  had  been  occupying,  a  small  frame 
edifice,  in  which  some  of  the  material  of  the  original 
John  Street  Church  had  been  used.  This,  which  was 
about  60  feet  by  40  feet,  was  bought  for  i^350,  and  at 
an  expense  of  ^1,400  it  was  taken  down  and  re-erected 
in  Eighty-sixth  Street,  betAveen  Third  and  Fourth 
Avenues.  The  dedication  took  place  on  July  2,  1837, 
Rev.  C.  W.  Carpenter  preaching  the  first  sermon. 

Although  the  purchase  and  removal  and  consequent 
preservation  for  a  time  of  that  historic  building  is 
matter  of  congratulation,  yet  under  the  circumstances 
it  proved,  at  first,  unfortunate  for  the  society  at  York- 
ville.  While  the  Avork  Avas  in  progress  serious  business 
embarrassments  arose;  property  depreciated  in  value, 
and  money  could  not  be  collected.  The  expansion  of 
the  city  Avas  also  checked,  so  that  the  population  of  the 
neighborhood  did  not  increase  as  rapidly  as  had  been 
expected.  But  services  Avere  kept  up,  the  place  retain- 
ing its  connection  Avith  the  Harlem  Mission  nntil  the 
Conference  of  1844.  During  the  preceding  Avinter  a 
revival  of  unusual  depth  and  ])ower  took  place,  resulting 
in  the  conversion  of  between  thirty  and  forty  persons. 
Its  subjects  Avere,  many  of  them,  persons  of  middle  age 
or  past  the  prime  of  life;  one  Avas  the  keeper  of  a  prom- 
inent tavern  on  Third  Avenue,  and  another  a  leader  in 
mischievous  rioting.  The  converts  were  unusually 
faithful ;  some  of  them  died  in  great  peace  and  triumph, 

*  Rev.  D.  De  Yinne,  in  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xi,  p.  170,  gives  the 
date  Marcli  1,  and  Rev.  J.  M.  King  says  the  place  was  Third  Avenue 
and  Eiglity-sixth  Street  (Historical  Address  at  the  jubilee  services). 


Park   Avenue. 


311 


and  others  have  been  useful  in  various  places.  As  a 
result  the  society  asked  that  the  junior  preacher  should 
confine  his  labors  to  that  charge.  At  the  ensuing  Con- 
ference he  was  returned,  and  the  charge  began  its  in- 
dependent existence.  From  the  Minutes  we  obtain  the 
following  reports  of  members  and  appointments: 


YEAR.       MEMBEKS 

1.                 PASToa. 

YEAR.    M 

lEMBESS. 

PASTOR. 

1844 



S.  A.  Seaman. 

1868 

261 

S.  D.  Brown. 

1845 

35 

W.  McK.  Bangs.* 

1869 

248 

" 

184(5 

30 

A.  H.  Molvneux. 

1870 

245 

" 

1847 

46 

B.  Redford. 

1871 

255 

De  Los  Lull. 

1848 

66 

B.  M.  Genung. 

1872 

318 

" 

1849 

53 

B.  Silleck. 

1873 

346 

" 

1850 

64 

" 

1874 

353 

A.  D.  Vail. 

1851 

48 

P.  C.  Oakley. 

1875 

376 

II 

1852 

80 

II 

1876 

386 

A.  J.  Palmer. 

1853 

67 

W.  G.  Browning. 

1877 

462 

" 

1854 

78 

L.  B.   Andrus. 

1878 

488 

" 

1855 

73 

S.  C.  Perry. 

1879 

450 

A.  D.  Vail. 

1856 

69 

" 

1880 

471 

" 

1857 

94 

A.  M.  Osbon. 

1881 

546 

" 

1858t 

184 

II 

1882 

602 

A.  J.  Palmer. 

1859 

186 

P.  Ward. 

1883t 

610 

" 

1860 

230 

II 

1884 

712 

" 

1861 

199 

S.  D.  Brown. 

1885 

687 

J.  M.  King. 

1862 

197 

H.  Lounsbury. 

1886 

781 

" 

1863 

203 

A.  M.  Osboa. 

1887 

680 

II 

1864 

185 

" 

1888 

763 

J.  R.  Boyle. 

1865 

204 

J.  B.  Gorse. 

1889 

670 

" 

1866 

250 

" 

1890 

638 

11 

1867 

278 

" 

In  1858  it  became  necessary  to  provide  a  new  build- 
ing. The  work  of  destruction  of  the  old  edifice  began 
on  the  2d  of  August.  In  uncovering  the  old  tim- 
bers it  was  discovered  that  some  of  them  bore  evi- 
dence of  having   had   place  in    the   first   John  Street 

*  Mr.  Bangs  resigned  on  account  of  ill  health,  and  A.  H.  Ferguson, 
then  a  local  preacher  in  the  city,  and  since  an  honored  member  of 
the  New  York  Conference,  served  to  the  close  of  the  year. 

f  In  1858  the  name  was  changed  to  Eighty-sixth  Street. 

t  In  1883  the  title  became  Park  Avenue. 
21 


312  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Church.*  On  the  30th  of  January,  1859,  the  house  was 
dedicated  by  Bishop  Janes.  It  stood  on  the  site  of  its 
pi'edecessor,  was  of  brick,  100  feet  by  44,  and  cost,  with 
the  fitting  up,  about  $9,800.  A  debt  ot  ^7,000  remained, 
for  the  payment  of  which  subscriptions  were  raised  dur- 
ing the  second  pastorate  of  Rev,  S.  D,  Brown. 

But  this  building,  after  all,  answered  but  a  tempo- 
rary purpose.  Lots  were  bought  on  the  corner  of  Park 
Avenue  and  Eighty-sixth  Street  in  April,  1882;  plans 
for  a  new  church  were  adopted  on  June  20,  the  old 
property  was  sold  in  July,  and  the  contracts  were  made 
on  September  14.  Ground  had  been  broken  early  in 
August,  the  corner-stone  was  laid  by  Bishop  Harris  on 
November  13,  and  on  March  23,  1884,  the  edifice  was 
dedicated  by  Bishop  Warren.  It  is  of  brown-stone,  and 
the  whole  property,  church,  chapel,  and  parsonage,  occu- 
pies 102  feet  on  Park  Avenue  and  108  feet  on  Eighty- 
sixth  Street.  The  church  is  60  feet  by  90,  and  the 
chapel  42  feet  by  95. 

Church,  $150,000.  Parsonage,  #25,000.  Debt,  $40,000. 
Salary,  $3,000.  Rent,  $1,500.  Other  collections,  $4,093. 
Current  expenses,  $5,000.     Sunday-school,  726. 

*Tl)eyliad  been  shaped  and  pnt  together  in  a  manner  different 
from  what  has  been  usual  since  the  day  of  Philip  Embury.  The 
builder  also  remarked  immediately,  '^  That  timber  has  been  in  a  stone 
building,"  and  pointed  out  certain  marks  of  this.  He  did  not  know- 
that  the  first  John  Street  Church  was  of  stone.  There  was,  there- 
fore, as  good  evidence  as  could  be  expected  at  that  time  that  these 
were  some  of  the  timbers  shaped  by  Philip  Embury.  Gilbert  Cou- 
tant  saw  the  beams  taken  from  the  old  John  Street  Church  and 
placed  in  the  church  at  Bowery  Village,  and  Rev.  D.  De  Yiune  was  a 
witness  that  those  beams  were  replaced  in  the  building  at  Eighty- 
sixth  Street.-f  A  piece  of  this  old  material  is  under  the  spot  where 
the  preacher  stands  in  the  present  Park  Avenue  Church.  Some  a.«- 
sistance  to  the  funds  for  the  new  church  was  obtained  by  tiie  sale  of 
other  portions  for  canes  and  other  purposes. 

t  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxxili,  p.  118. 


ASBURY.  313 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

CHURCHES :     ASBURY— SECOXD    STREET— EIGHTEPZXTH 
STREET— CENTRAL—ST.  RAUL'S. 

ASBURY. 

(Broadiuay  Hall — G7'etne  Sired.) 

For  several  years  it  had  been  felt  that  a  Methodist 
house  of  wo)-sl]ip  was  needed  in  what  was  then  about 
the  center  of  the  city,  and  on  December  4,  1 820,  the  trust- 
ees voted  to  occupy  the  second  story  of  the  Wesleyan 
Seminary  (in  Crosby  Street,  between  Howard  and  Grand 
Streets)  as  a  place  of  worship,  if  the  preachers  would 
supply  it  regularly.  This  arrangement,  however,  does 
not  seem  to  have  continued  long,  and  in  1824  the  room 
was  occupied  by  the  printing-office  of  the  Book  Con- 
cern. On  the  6th  of  February,  1831,  Broadway  Hall 
was  opened  for  religious  services,  and  it  is  said  four 
persons  were  awakened  at  the  first  meeting.*  During 
the  summer  land  was  bought  for  $10,000  in  Greene 
Street,  between  Broome  and   Spring  Streets,f  and  on 

*  This  building  was  on  the  east  side  of  Broadway,  between  Howard 
and  Grand  Streets,  No.  444.  A  view  o£  it  will  be  found  in  Valentine's 
Manual,  1861,  p.  452,  and  1865,  p.  628.  There  it  bears  the  name  of 
'•  Olympic." 

f  After  an  agreement  had  been  made  to  take  tiiis  property  some  of 
tiie  trustees  feared  that,  as  a  part  of  the  lot  was  made  ground,  it  might 
not  furnish  a  sufBciently  solid  foundation.  Another  site  was  there- 
fore bouglit  in  Mulberry  Street,  also  between  Broome  and  Spring 
Sti'eets ;  but  finally  it  was  thought  best  to  return  to  the  plot  in  Greene 
Street,  and  the  land  in  Mulberry  Street  was  sold  to  the  Methodist 
Book  Concern,  and  was  occupied  by  that  establishment  for  more  than 
fifty  years. 


314  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

the  19th  of  September  the  corner-stone  of  the  new 
building  was  laid,  after  a  sermon  by  Rev.  S.  Merwin.* 
On  the  first  Sabbath  of  February,  1832,  the  lecture- 
room  was  occupied,  and  the  audience-room  was  dedi- 
cated on  Good  Friday,  April  20,  Rev.  N.  Bangs,  D.D., 
preaching  in  the  afternoon,  on  Psa.  cxxxii,  part  of 
verse  14,  and  Rev.  S.  Merwin  in  the  evening.  On  the 
following  Sunday  Bishop  McKendree  preached  in  the 
morning,  on  Hos.  vi,  3,  Rev.  B.  "VVaugh  in  the  afternoon, 
on  Matt,  xi,  5  (latter  part),  and  Rev.  H.  B.  Bascom  in 
the  evening,  on  Matt,  xxviii,  9.  A  hearer  says  this  last 
was  "  most  grand."  f  The  building  was  83  feet  by  70, 
of  brick,  with  a  basement  largely  above  ground. J 

In  the  lecture-room  of  this  new  church  the  New  York 
Conference  of  1832  began  its  session  June  6.  Greene 
Street  became  the  especial  field  of  the  preacher  in 
charge- of  the  West  Circuit,  and  the  men  who  occupied 
that  position  were: 

YEAR.  PASTOR.  YEAR.  PASTOR. 

1832-3     Peter  P.  Sandford.  1836-7     C.  W.  Carpenter. 

1 834-5     J.  B.  Stratteii. 

In  1838,  like  all  the  other  churches  on  the  west  side, 
it  became  independent.!  From  that  time  the  Minutes 
give  the  following  particulars: 


YEAR. 

MEMBER 

s.                     PASTOK. 

VKAK. 

MEMBERS,                       PASTOR. 

1838 



S.  D.  Ferguson. 

1843 

688     J.  C.  Green. 

1839 

359 

" 

1844 

598     JSr.  Bangs. 

1840 

399 

H.  B:uigs. 

1845 

462 

1841 

438 

" 

1846 

470     P.  R.  Brown. 

1842 

493 

J.  C.  Green. 

1847 

412 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  vi,  p.  15. 

\  Note-book  of  TexOi,  Mrs.  "W.  Trnslow,  and  Christian  Advocate, 
vol.  vi,  p.  J  39. 

if  Two  others  were  afterward  built  on  the  same  model;  that  in 
Second  Street  still  stands.  A  new  plan  of  seating  was  also  adopted 
ill  tiiis  house,  of  which  a  description  will  be  found  on  p.  268. 

§  It  had  as  its  share  of  the  debt  $9,500. 


AsBURY.  r!i5 


YEAR.      ^ 

.1EMBGRn< 

PiSTOB. 

YBAB. 

MKMBEK! 

3. 

PASTOR. 

1848 

418 

D.  Smith. 

1862 

562 

J. 

"W.  Beach. 

1849 

388 

" 

1863 

483 

J. 

K.  Wardle. 

1850 

435 

D.  Slocking. 

1864 

516 

" 

1851 

496 

" 

1865 

468 

" 

1852 

503 

R.  S.  Foster. 

1866 

447 

J. 

S.  Inskip. 

1853 

454 

" 

1867 

498 

" 

1854 

454 

J.  P.  Hermance. 

1868 

405 

" 

1855 

414 

" 

1869 

412 

A 

.  K.  Sanforc 

1856 

376 

J.  T.  Peck. 

1870 

442 

" 

1857 

388 

" 

1871 

325 

" 

1858 

406 

W.  P.  Corbit. 

1872 

325 

E. 

S.  Osboii. 

1859 

475 

" 

1873 

306 

" 

1860 

546 

C.  K.  Harris. 

1874 

177 

1861 

630 

" 

1875 



u 

At  the  Conference  of  1874  Greene  Street  and  Duane 
Street  were  united  under  the  charge  of  E.  S.  Osbon, 
and  so  continued  in  1875,  J.  A.  Edmonds  being  pastor. 
The  report  for  the  united  churches  was,  for  1875,  434 
members,  and  for  1876,  343.  During  the  last  year  the 
property  was  sold  for  |ilOO,000,  and  the  Reformed 
church  on  Washington  Square  bought  for  $80,000. 
The  name  was  also  changed  to  Asbury.  At  the  Confer- 
ence of  187G  the  union  between  this  congregation  and 
the  Duane  Church  was  dissolved,  and  from  that  period 
the  reports  of  Asbury  are: 


YEAR. 

MKMBKRS.                       PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBER." 

!.                       PASTOR. 

1876 

J.  A.  Kdmonds. 

1884 

250 

P.  R.  Hawxhurst. 

1877 

154 

1885 

165 

F.  Bollome. 

1878 

203     J.  F.  Richmond. 

1886 

134 

" 

1879 

240 

1887 

111 

" 

1880 

250 

1888 

78 

De  Los  Lull. 

1881 

228     "W.  H.  Ferris. 

1889 

95 

J.  Rowe. 

1882 

275 

1890 

82 

J.  S.  Stone. 

1883 

277 

The  church  in  Greene  Street  was  the  scene  of  some 
very  interesting  events.  At  the  session  of  the  New 
York  Conference  in  1838  Rev.  Paul  R.  Brown  was 
called  to  account  for  taking  part  in  a  Methodist  Anti- 
slavery  Convention  at  Utica,  New  York.  The  mem- 
orable General  Conference  of   1844  was  held  within  its 


316  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

walls.  Being  for  many  years  one  of  the  largest  and 
most  central  of  our  churches,  it  was  the  favorite  place 
for  missionary  anniversaries  and  other  general  meetings. 

A  Bible-class  conducted  for  many  years  by  Joseph 
Longking  became  somewhat  famous  in  its  day  for  fur- 
nishing to  the  Church  an  unusual  number  of  useful 
laborers.  The  membership  of  the  church  was  never  as 
large  as  that  of  some  other  churches,  nor  did  the  con- 
gregation generally  fill  the  building.  But  it  held  on  its 
course  of  usefulness  until  the  influx  of  business  into 
the  neighborhood  made  a  removal  necessary.  It  is  to 
be  hoped  that  there  is  yet  a  prosperous  future  before 
this  historic  church. 

Church,  $1:30,000.  Parsonage,  $17,000.  Debt,$12,000. 
Salary,  |1,350.  Other  collections,  $142.  Current  ex- 
penses, 82,075.     Sunday-school,  245. 


SECOND      S  1"  R  E  E  T. 

{Manhattan  Island.) 

The  amount  of  labor  expended  on  the  site  occupied 
by  New  York  city  in  preparing  it  for  building  can 
scarcely  be  imagined  by  any  one  who  now  visits  it  for 
the  first  time.  Hollows  and  salt  meadows  and  ponds 
have  been  filled  in,  hills  dug  down  and  rocks  blasted, 
that  the  streets  might  be  as  nearly  level  as  possible. 
On  the  East  River  side,  north  of  Houston  Street,  were 
extensive  salt  meadows,  in  the  midst  of  which  Avas  a 
spot  rather  more  elevated,  which  was  known  as  Man- 
hattan Island,  and  occupied  by  ship-builders.  Some- 
where in  that  vicinity  Abraham  Stagg,  a  contractor  for 
opening  streets,  put  up  a  row  of  buildings  which  became 
known  as  Stagg's  Barracks,  and  the  neighborhood  was 
called  Staggtown,    About  1816  a  large  garret  in  Stagg's 


Second  Street.  317 

Barracks  was  opened  for  a  Sunday-school,  and  ])robably 
also  for  prayer-meetings  and  preaching.  Annie  F'itz- 
gerald,  or  Aunt  Annie,  as  she  was  called,  a  devoted 
woman,  the  wife  of  William,  or  Uncle  Billy,  Fitzgerald, 
Avas  in  the  habit  of  visiting  through  the  neigliborhood, 
taking  her  knitting  and  talking  to  young  and  old. 
Meetings  were  also  held  in  a  carver's  shop  at  the  junc- 
tion of  East  Houston  and  Second  Streets,  where  the 
bell-tower  afterward  stood.  Thomas  Evans  and 
Abraham  Stagg  are  said  to  have  been  leaders  in  the 
work.  This  is  about  all  we  can  learn  in  regard  to  it, 
however,   until  at  a  meeting  of  the  trustees,   April    8, 

1829,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  inquire  concerning 
a  church  which  was  to  let  at  Manhattan  Island.  At  a 
subsequent  meeting  they  reported  that  the  building 
would  not  answer.     At  the  meeting   of   November  3, 

1830,  the  subject  was  again  taken  up,  and  at  that  of 
December  1  it  was  resolved  to  build  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. On  March  19,  1831,  the  committee  reported  the 
purchase  of  four  lots  of  ground  on  the  north  side  of 
Second  Street,  between  Avenues  C  and  D,  for  $800  a 
lot.  On  January  23,  1832,  the  corner-stone  was  laid, 
Rev.  D.  Ostrander  preaching  on  the  occasion  either 
from  Psa.  cxviii,  23,  or  Matt,  xxi,  42.*  On  October  18, 
1832,  the  building  was  dedicated.  Rev.  J.  P.  Durbin 
preaching  on  2  Chron.  vi,  18.f  It  is  of  brick,  some- 
what after  the  model  of  that  recently  erected  in  Greene 
Street,  58  feet  by  75, J  It  is  still  occupied  by  the  con- 
gregation. 

In  1832-3  P.  R.  Brown  was  the  resident  preacher,  in 
1834-5  J.  Law,  and  in  183G  H.  Brown.  In  1837  it  be- 
came a  separate  charge,  and  from  that  time  its  mem- 
bership and  ])astors  have  been: 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  vi,  p.  09.  f  I/nd.,  vol.  vii,  p.  ;{4. 

ifTrusttes'  luimites,  October  21,  1831. 


318  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  Citv. 


YKAH.     1 

JBMBEBS 

PASTOR. 

VKAR.     .% 

TEMBKRS, 

PASTOR. 

1837 

H.  Brown. 

1864 

393 

R.  H.  Loomis. 

1838 

59() 

J.  W.  Le  Fevre. 

1865 

380 

W.  F.  Collins. 

1839 

701 

•' 

1866 

541 

" 

1840 

759 

J.  Lindsay. 

1867 

564 

J.  L.  Peck. 

1841 

830 

" 

1868 

535 

i( 

1842 

900 

W.   M.  Ferguson.* 

1869 

460 

F.  Brown. 

1843 

970 

N.  Bangs. 

1870 

433 

" 

1844 

849 

F.  W.  Smith. 

1871 

457 

H.  Aston. 

1845 

793 

" 

1872 

444 

" 

1846 

800 

A.  S.  Lakin. 

1873 

407 

AV.  McAllister. 

1847 

700 

•' 

1874 

370 

" 

1848 

700 

P.  Clianiberlin. 

1875 

335 

" 

1849 

515 

" 

1876 

230 

F.  Brown. 

1850 

462 

H.  F.  Pease. 

1877 

232 

" 

1851 

566 

" 

1878 

276 

R.  C.  Putney. 

1852 

489 

R.  Jessop. 

1879 

266 

" 

1853 

392 

" 

1880 

259 

W.  T.  Pray. 

1854 

337 

To  be  supplied. f 

1881 

251 

" 

1855 

420 

C.  Shelling. 

1882 

231 

" 

1856 

320 

S.  W.  King. 

1883 

224 

R.  T.  McNlcholL 

1857 

341 

" 

1884 

195 

" 

1858 

485 

To  be  supplied.:j: 

1885 

222 

Geo.  H.  Goodsell, 

1859 

534 

R.  C.  Putney. 

1886 

130 

C.  S.  Williams. 

1860 

628 

W.  F.  Collins. 

1887 

180 

" 

1861 

589 

" 

1888 

139 

W.  A.  Dickson. 

1862 

580 

G.  Dunbar. 

1889 

115 

R.  Wasson, 

1863 

625 

R.  H.  Loom  is. 

1890 

100 

" 

Church  (including  a  school-building  in  the  rear), 
$70,000.  Parsonage,  |8,000.  Debt,  $3,000.  Salary, 
$800.  Rent,  $540.  Other  collections,  $195.  Current 
expenses,  $1,866.     Sunday-school,  400. 


eighteenth    street.  \ 

( Upper  Greenwich —  TiventiAh  Street.) 

Although  the  church  in  Eighteenth  Street  originated 
some  years  before  the  division  of  the  city  into  two  cir- 
cuits, it  had  no  resident  preacher,    the  services  being 

*  Mr.  Ferguson's  health  failing,  he  resigned  his  charge  during  the 
year,  and  died  June  3,  1843.     Rev.  N".  Bangs  supplied. 

I  C.  Shelling  was  the  supply.         \  R.  C.  Putney  was  the  supply. 


Eighteenth  Street.  319 

conducted  mostly  by  local  preachers.  In  1828  Rev. 
N.  Levings,  then  in  Bedford  Street,  formed  a  class  at 
the  house  of  Richard  Winthrop,  in  Eighteenth  Street, 
nearly  opposite  the  present  church.  It  met  at  the 
homes  of  the  different  members,  David  Demarest  being 
leader  at  first,  but  he  was  soon  succeeded  by  Stephen 
Merritt.  In  1829  a  Sunday-school  was  established  in 
Twentieth  Street,  east  of  Eighth  Avenue,  with  S.  Mer- 
ritt and  William  S.  Hunt  as  superintendents,  and  other 
religious  services  were  held  in  the  same  place.*  In 
1830  a  small  frame  church  was  erected  on  the  south 
side  of  Twentieth  Street,  west  of  Eighth  Avenue,f  at 
the  cost  of  $1,200,  which  was  known  as  the  Twentieth 
Street  or  Upper  Greenwich  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
In  1832,  when  the  circuit  was  divided,  it  received  its 
first  resident  preacher,  Josiah  Bowen,  who  remained  two 
years.  John  C.  Tackaberry  succeeded  him  in  1834,  and 
James  Covel,  Jr.,  in  1836,  each  continuing  two  years. 

In  1835  the  present  church  edifice  was  undertaken, 
on  the  north  side  of  Eighteenth  Street,  a  little  west  of 
Eighth  Avenue.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  August 
13,  1835,  by  Bishop  Hedding];  after  addresses  by  the 
Bishop  and  Rev.  S.  Merwin.  The  dedication  took  place 
on  Thursday,  February  25, 1836,  sermons  being  preached 
by  Revs.  B.  Waugh  and  Fitch  Reed. 

When,  in  1838,  the  property  of  the  churches  of  the 
West  Circuit  was  divided  it  would  have  been  ai)propriate 
that  John  Street  should  retain  the  old  charter  and  set 
off  its  younger  sisters  ;  but  the  brethren  in  that  so- 
ciety were  not  willing  to  assume  the  responsibility  of 
doing  this,  and  it  was  finally  arranged  that  Eighteenth 
Street  should  receive  the  charter  and  assign  to  each 
of   the   rest   its   portion.     Thus,   though   the   youngest 

*  Trustees'  minutes,  Dec.  2,  1829.  \  Ibid.,    Juue  2,  1830. 

J;  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  ix,  p.  207. 


320  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City, 

organization  at  the  time,  it  became  the  legal  mother  (or 
mother-in -^aro)  of  the  others.  It  retains  that  charter 
to  the  present  day,  and  is  "The  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  the  city  of  New  York." 

The  building  erected  in  1835  was  of  brick,  64  by  82 
feet,  with  a  basement  very  much  above  ground.  Its 
front  closely  resembled  that  of  the  church  in  Seventh 
Street,  In  1885  (after  fifty  years)  it  was  remodeled, 
and  an  entirely  new  front  of  brown-stone  and  brick 
erected,  and  material  changes  made  in  the  interior. 

Eighteenth  Street  has  been  one  of  the  most  prosper- 
ous churches  in  the  city.  Its  congregation  has  been 
good,  and  many  interesting  revivals  have  kept  up  its 
membership  in  spite  of  the  effects  of  emigration,  so 
that  now  it  is  as  large  as  it  was  forty  years  ago.  It  has 
numbered  among  its  members  some  most  faithful  and 
successful  laborers.  Its  resident  preachers  before  it  be- 
came a  separate  charge  have  already  been  given.  After 
that  its  record  is: 


YEAR.     N 

lEMBEKS 

PASTOH. 

VKAR.     I 

HKMBERS 

PASTOR. 

1838 



S.  L.  Siillman. 

1859 

535 

J. 

Poisal. 

1839 

404 

u 

1860 

549 

M. 

D'C.  Crawford. 

1840 

452 

J.  Youngs. 

1861 

542 

" 

1841 

604 

" 

1862 

440 

J. 

"W.  Lindsay. 

1842 

752 

D.  Stockin.o;. 

1863 

463 

'• 

1843  1,003 

" 

1864 

470 

R. 

S.  Foster. 

1844 

851 

S.  Martindale. 

1865 

441 

" 

1845 

819 

" 

1866 

486 

" 

1846 

770 

N.  "White. 

1867 

442 

L. 

H.  King. 

1847 

700 

" 

1868 

500 

" 

1848 

610 

A.  M.  Osbon. 

1869 

510 

" 

1849 

611 

'• 

1870 

495 

M. 

D'C.  Crawford. 

1850 

456 

M.  D'C.  Crawford. 

1871 

449 

" 

1851 

479 

" 

1872 

397 

" 

1852 

522 

J.  P.  Hermauce. 

1873 

437 

M. 

S.  Terry. 

1853 

568 

" 

1874 

449 

1. 

1854 

568 

C.  B.  Sing. 

1875 

429 

" 

1855 

547 

1876 

408 

W 

.  F.  Hatfield. 

1856 

556 

J.  W.  Beach. 

1877 

532 

" 

1857 

448 

'• 

1878 

510 

u 

18^8 

473 

J.  Poisal. 

1879 

495 

G. 

E.  Rtrobridgo. 

ElGHTKENTH    StREET.  321 


YEAR.     MEMBEES. 

PASTOR. 

YEAR.     ^ 

ilEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

1880     547 

G.  E.  Strobridge. 

1886 

525     G. 

PI  Strobridge. 

1881     625 

'• 

1887 

482     C. 

R.  Nortli. 

1882     651 

J.  M.  King. 

1888 

583 

'• 

1883     748 

" 

1889 

546     0. 

A.  Brown. 

1884     653 

'• 

1890 

514 

" 

1885     540 

G.  K.  Sirobiidjje. 

Churcli,  $100,000.  Parsonage,  $15,000.  Debt,  $8,000. 
Salary,  $2,500.  Rent,  $1,500.  Other  collections,  $1,832. 
Current  expenses,  $2,000.     Sunday-school,  380. 


CENTRAI.    CHURCH. 

{First    Wtsleyan   Chiqiel. —  Vestry  She-t.) 

At  the  trustees'  meethig  of  January  26,  1830,  Rev.  H. 
Bangs  was  present  by  invitation,  and,  having  set  forth 
the  necessity  of  additional  churches  in  the  city,  and  the 
inability  of  the  trustees  to  build  them  on  account  of  the 
heavy  debt  under  Avhich  they  labored,  he  proposed  that 
some  should  be  built  with  pews  or  slips,  to  sell  or  to 
rent,  reserving,  however,  a  certain  number  of  free  seats. 
The  proposal  was  referred  to  a  committee,  Avhich  on 
March  3  reported  the  plan  to  be  "not  lawful  nor  ex- 
pedient." But  the  matter  was  afterward  taken  up  by 
some  of  the  laity,  and  on  Monday,  June  3,  1833,  the 
corner-stone  of  the  "  First  Wesleyan  Chapel  "  was  laid  in 
Vestry  Street,  near  Greenwich.  It  was  erected  by 
joint-stock  subscription  on  leased  ground,  at  a  total 
cost  of  about  $26,000.*  Rev.  N.  Bangs,  D.D.,  preached 
on  the  occasion.  On  the  following  Christmas  day  it 
was  dedicated,  Avhen  Rev.  W.  Fisk,  D.D.,  preached  on 
Heb.  i,  1,  2.  f  The  building  was  modeled  after  that  of 
Washington  Street,  Brooklyn,  and  was  similar  to  that 

*  Article  by  L.  Skidmore,  Esq.,  in  the  Central  Star,  December,  1888. 
f  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  viii,  p.  74. 


322  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


afterward  erected  in  Mulberry  Street,  near  Bleecker, 
now  occupied  by  a  Roman  Catholic  congregation  of 
Italians.  Dr.  Bangs  took  charge  until  the  following 
Conference,  when  Rev.  Joseph  Holdich,  D.D.,  was  trans- 
ferred from  the  Philadelphia  Conference  to  the  ap- 
pointment.    Its  record  is  as  follows  : 


YKAK.     > 

.lEMBERS 

i.                  PASTOR, 

VEAR.     ; 

II  EMBERS 

PASTOR. 

1834 

J.  Holdich. 

1862 

283 

A.  Cookman. 

1835 

124 

To  be  supplied.* 

1863 

307 

H.  J.  Fox. 

1836 

150 

F.  Hodason. 

1864 

309 

" 

1837 

160 

B.  Creaorb. 

1865 

293 

(( 

1838 

160 

" 

1866 

280 

G.  S.  Hare. 

1839 

151 

C.  A.  Davis.f 

1867 

305 

" 

1840 

206 

" 

1868 

311 

" 

1841 

170 

T.  Burch. 

1869 

284 

A.  Longacre. 

1842 

153 

W.  H.  Norris.t 

1870 

313 

" 

1843 

175 

N.  Levings. 

1871 

321 

" 

1844 

200 

" 

1872 

315 

F.  Bottome. 

1845 

216 

M.  L.  Sciidder. 

1873 

312 

" 

1846 

253 

" 

1874 

346 

a 

1847 

259 

G.  F.  Kettel. 

1875 

360 

C.  S.  Harro^'er. 

1848 

251 

" 

1876 

240 

11 

1849 

220 

D.  W.  Clark. 

1877 

281 

" 

1850 

197 

" 

1878 

285 

J.  P.  Newman. 

1851 

208 

J.  B.  Hagany. 

1879 

411 

(1 

1852 

182 

" 

1880 

414 

11 

1853 

171 

E.  E.  Bragdon. 

1881 

426 

To  be  supplied.** 

1854 

140 

T.  F.  R.  Mercein. 

1882 

363 

J.  S.  Chadvvick. 

1855 

76 

To  be  supplied.^ 

1883 

304 

" 

185611 

125 

A.  Steele. 

1884 

319 

" 

1857 

152 

To  be  supplied, 

1885 

311 

B.  Lane. 

A.  Steele,  sup'y.1[ 

1886 

299 

" 

1858 

233 

S.  D.  Browu. 

1887 

305 

" 

1859 

220 

G.  S.  Hare. 

1888 

298 

C.  S.  narrower. 

1860 

255 

" 

1889 

232 

" 

1861 

226 

A.  Cooknian, 
J.  P.  Newman. 

1890 

234 

*  G.  T.  Cox  supplied  until  September. 

f  Mr.  Davis  resigned  in  February,  1841,  and  T.  Burch  supplied. 

:j:  Mr.  Norris  left  during  the  year.     J.  Dempster  supplied. 

§  The  supply  was  A.  Steele. 

II  Name  changed  to  Central  Church. 

T[  S.  D.  Brown,  of  Troy  Conference,  was  transferred  to  supply. 

**  B.  Lane  supplied. 


Central  Church.  323 

When  the  congregation  had  worshiped  in  Vestry 
Street  about  twenty  years  it  became  evident  that  a 
change  of  location  was  necessary.  Land  was  bought 
on  the  west  side  of  Seventh  Avenue,  just  below  Four- 
teenth Street,  and  on  April  27,  1854,*  Rev.  J.  Hoklich;, 
the  first  pastor,  preached  the  last  sermon  in  the  old 
building  on  Exod.  xv,  13.f  The  new  edifice  is  of 
brown-stone,  in  Romanesque  style,  67  feet  by  90,  and 
has  a  tower  125  feet  high.  A  chapel  adjoins  it  on  the 
soiith,  and  a  parsonage  on  the  north.  It  was  dedicated 
Sunda}',  June  15,  1856,  Bishop  Janes  preaching  in  the 
morning.  Dr.  McClintock  in  the  afternoon,  and  Rev. 
W.  H.  Milburn  in  the  evening.;]; 

Church,  $110,000.  Parsonage,  115,000.  No  debt. 
Salary,  $2,400.  Rent,  Sl,400.  Other  collections,  $3,108. 
Current  expenses,  $2,000.     Sunday-school,  191. 


ST.    PAUL  s.§ 

(Second  Wesley  an  Chapel — Mulberry  Street.) 

In  the  year  1834  Mr.  Ezekiel  J.  Moore,  a  merchant 
and  a  member  of  the  Seventh  Street  Church,  had  his 
attention  attracted  to  a  vacant  piece  of  land  in  Mul- 
berry Street,  near  Bleecker,  which  he  thought  would  be 
a  good  location  for  a  church.  On  Wednesday  evening, 
June  11,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Jacob 
P.  Bunting,  in  Crosby  Street,  and  Staats  M.  Mead,  Lan- 
caster S.  Burling,  Benjamin  Disbrow,  Ezekiel  J.  Moore, 
and  Ralph  Mead  were  appointed  a  committee  to  secure 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxix,  p.  73. 

\  Dr.  Holdich  has  given  the  writer  the  privilege  of  reading  his  copy 
of  this  discourse.  It  is  an  interesting  review  of  the  historj^  of  the 
chnrch,  with  references  to  prominent  lay  members. 

J  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxxi,  p.  98. 

§  Principally  from  a  paper  prepared  by  the  late  Lemuel  Bangs,  Esq. 


324  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

the  pi'operty  and  erect  the  building.  The  design  of 
the  First  Wesleyan  Chapel,  recently  erected  in  Vestry 
Street,  was  adopted  in  the  main,  and  on  July  10,  1834, 
the  corner-stone  was  laid,  with  an  address  by  Dr.  Dur- 
bin.  It  was  dedicated  on  March  5,  1835,  Dr.  N.  Bangs 
preaching  at  three  P.  M.  on  Luke  i,  79,*  and  Rev.  S.  Mer- 
win,  the  presiding  elder,  in  the  evening.f  The  total 
cost  was  $30,560,  of  which  $10,500  was  for  the  land. J 
A  house  nearly  opposite  the  church  was  bought  for  a 
parsonage  for  $9,000,  making  in  all  $39,560.  The  prop- 
erty, like  that  of  Vestry  Street,  was  originally  held  by 
shareholders,  who  paid  $10,500,  leaving  a  debt  of 
$29,060.  The  title  of  the  incorporation  was,  "  The 
Second  Wesleyan  Chapel  of  New  York  City."  The 
building  could  seat  nine  hundred.  It  was  carpeted  and 
cushioned,  and  had  a  pulpit  of  mahogany  from  the  fac- 
tory of  Staats  M.  Mead. 

Until  the  Conference  of  1835  Rev.  N.  Bangs,  D.D., 
then  the  general  editor  of  the  Methodist  Book  Concern, 
supplied  the  pulpit.     After  that  the  record  is: 


YEAK. 

MEMBF.E 

ts. 

FASTllR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBKBS.                PASTOR. 

1835 



R. 

Seney. 

1843 

297 

J.  Dempster. 

183G 

106 

•' 

1844 

285 

" 

1837 

119 

F. 

Hodgson. 

1845 

277 

E.  L  Janes. 

1838 

145 

1846 

296 

" 

1839 

155 

E. 

S.  Janes. 

1847 

295 

C.  B.  Sing. 

1840 

197 

'■ 

1848 

277 

E.  E.  Griswold. 

1841 

201 

J. 

H.  Perry. 

1849 

257 

" 

1842 

305 

'• 

1850 

238 

To  be  supplied. § 

About  this  time  the  debt  had  increased  so  as  to  be- 
come a  serious  embarrassment.  To  relieve  this  and 
simplify  their  finances  a  mortgage  on  the  building  was 
permitted  to  be  foreclosed,  and  it  was  sold  in  Novem- 

*  Memoranda  of  Mrs.  W.  Truslow. 
f  ChrMian  Advocate,  vol.  ix,  p.  118. 
:}:  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  ix,  p.  162. 
g  Tlie  supply  was  R.  S.  Foster. 


St.  Paul's.  325 

ber,  1849.  Mr.  Ralph  Mead  bought  it,  and  the  congre- 
gation paid  him  $25,000  for  the  property.  A  new  or- 
ganization was  effected  under  the  title  of  "The  Mul- 
berry Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church." 


YEAR. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

YEAR.    1 

MEMBERS.                       PASTOR. 

]851 

280     R.  S. 

Foster. 

1854 

263     J.  B.  Hagany. 

1852 

264     E.  0. 

Haven. 

1855 

257     A.  M.  Osbou. 

1853 

261     J.  B. 

Hagany. 

1856 

251 

In  1856  the  question  of  removal  began  to  be  agitated. 
On  October  6  St.  Philip's  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  * 
offered  to  purchase  the  property,  deliverable  May  1, 
1857,  and  the  offer  was  accepted.  On  November  23, 
1856,  it  was  decided  to  buy  the  property  on  the  corner 
of  Fourth  Avenue  and  Twenty-second  Street.  On  the 
ground  was  a  wooden  chapel  which  had  been  used  by 
the  Calvary  Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  This  was 
fitted  up  for  temporary  use,  the  congregation  in  the 
meanwhile  meeting  in  the  chapel  of  the  Fourth  Avenue 
Presbyterian  Church.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  by 
Dr.  Bangs  on  September  9,  1857,  Rev.  Alfred  Cookman, 
of  the  Philadelphia  Conference,  and  Rev.  A.  M.  Osbon 
speaking  on  the  occasion. 

The  walls  of  the  new  church  went  up  around  the 
old  building,  and  the  chapel  in  Twenty-second  Street 
was  completed  and  occupied  December  27,  1857,  the 
opening  sermon  being  by  Bishop  Janes.  The  church 
was  dedicated  May  9,  1858,  by  Bishop  Ames,  after 
a  sermon  by  Di*.  J.  P.  Durbin  on  John  i,  29.  Dr. 
J.  McClintock  preached  in  the  afternoon,  and  Rev. 
Thomas  Sewall,  of  Baltimore,  in  the  evening.  This 
building  (St.  Paul's  Church)  is  so  well  known  to  Meth- 

*  This  was  a  congregation  of  colored  people,  once  under  the  pastoral 
care  of  Rev.  Peler  Williams,  son  of  Peter  Williams,  the  old  sexton  of 
John  Street  Clnirch.  See  Appendix  V,  p.  489.  It  has  since  been 
sold  to  a  Catholic  congregation  of  Italians. 


326  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

odists  in  the  city  and  to  many  elsewhere  that  no  de- 
scription is  necessary. 

Since  the  church  removed  to  its  new  location  its  pas- 
tors and  membership  have  been: 


YEAR. 

MEMBERS.                       PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

1857 

216 

J.  McClimock.* 

1874 

520 

J. 

A.  M.  Cliapm; 

1858 

275 

11               * 

1875 

574 

1859 

294 

A.  C.  Foss. 

1876 

655 

'• 

1860 

340 

J.  B.  Hagany. 

1877 

655 

0. 

H.  Tiffany. 

1861 

354 

" 

1878 

665 

" 

1862 

332 

H.  B.  Ridgaway. 

1879 

734 

" 

1863 

357 

" 

1880 

751 

J. 

A.  M.  Chapm 

1864 

388 

J.  McClintock.f 

1881 

702 

" 

1865 

351 

C.  D.  Foss. 

1882 

694 

" 

1866 

392 

" 

1883 

675 

J. 

R.  Day. 

1867 

434 

" 

1884 

669 

" 

1868 

444 

H.  B.  Ridgaway. 

1885 

689 

" 

1869 

480 

" 

1886 

638 

E. 

.  McChesney. 

1870 

483 

" 

1887 

384  :j 

" 

1871 

502 

C.  D.  Foss. 

1888 

409 

" 

1872 

517 

" 

1889 

415 

G. 

,  H.  McGrew. 

1873 

533 

" 

1890 

406 

" 

Churcli,  $175,000.  Parsonage,  $25,000.  Debt,  |4,000. 
Salary,  $4,000.  Rent,  $2,000.  Other  collections, 
$6,156.    Current  expenses,  $2,297.    Sunday-school,  239.§ 

*  E.  L.  Prentice  was  assistant  pastor  in  1857,  and  A.  C.  Foss  in  1858. 
lu  1858  the  name  was  changed  to  St.  Paul's. 

\  E.  B.  Otheman  assistant. 

I  This  reduction  arose  partly  from  a  revision  of  the  list,  and  partly 
from  the  removal  of  a  number  of  members  to  the  newly  organized 
cliurch  on  Madison  Avenue. 

§  Since  the  above  was  written  the  property  has  been  sold  for 
$300,000  and  the  building  taken  down.  The  new  location  has  not  yet 
been  selected. 


Chelsea.  327 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

CHURCHES:  CHELSEA— WASHINGTON  SQUARE— A SBURY, 
NORFOLK  STREET— JANE  STREET— ALANSON— MADISON 
STREET— MADISON  AND  CATHARINE  STREET— CHERRY 
STREET— ELEVENTH  STREET. 

CHELSEA. 

{Twentij-fourth  Street — Tliirtieth  Street.) 

The  Chelsea  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  owes  its 
origin  to  the  foresight  and  energy  of  Rev.  Joseph 
Longkitig.  In  1838  it  occurred  to  him  that  a  mission 
should  be  established  in  the  upper  part  of  the  city, 
west  of  Eighth  Avenue,  in  what  was  then  a  sparsely 
settled  district,  but  likely  soon  to  be  densely  populated. 
He  therefore  secured  a  basement  in  Tenth  Avenue, 
between  Twenty-sixth  and  Twenty-seventh  Streets, 
next  door  to  the  residence  of  Gerry  Walker,  at  a 
rent  of  $60  a  year.  A  Sunday-school  was  organ- 
ized, the  teachers  being  principally  young  people  from 
the  churches  in  Greene  and  Vestry  Streets.  Prayer  and 
class-meetings  were  begun,  and  also  preaching  on  Sun- 
day evenings,  generally  by  local  preachers,  but  occa- 
sionally by  Rev.  George  Coles,  then  Assistant  Editor  of 
Tlie  Christian  Advocate.  Gerry  Walker  and  James 
Scott,  members  of  the  Church  in  Eighteenth  Street, 
and  John  Crouch,  a  member  of  that  in  Vestry  Street, 
were  active  co-laborers  in  the  work.  In  1841  the  mission 
was  removed  to  the  second  story  of  a  building  at 
the  south-west  corner  of  Twenty-seventh  Street  and 
Ninth  Avenue,  the  lower  part  of  which  was  a  carpen- 
22 


328  A  History  of  Methopism  ix  New  York  City. 

ter's  shop.  In  July  or  August,  1843,  the  society  was 
incorporated  under  the  title  of  "The  Chelsea  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  of  the  City  of  New  York,"  and  a  lot 
on  the  north  side  of  Twenty-fourth  Street,  a  little  east 
of  Ninth  Avenue,  was  leased  from  Joseph  Longking 
at  a  yearl}'"  rent  of  $56.  Here  a  house  was  erected, 
24  feet  6  inches  by  50  feet.  It  was  a  frame  building 
with  a  basement,  costing  $1,600,  and  was  dedicated  on 
Friday,  January  5,  1844,  the  first  sermon  being  preached 
by  Rev.  N.  Levin^^s,  on  Matt,  xviii,  20,  and  that  in  the 
evening  by  Rev.  J.  Dempster,  on  2  Cor.  iv,  5.  Rev. 
Bezaleel  Howe,  a  supernumerary  preacher  of  the  New 
York  Conference,  was  the  first  pastor,  and  at  the  en- 
suing Conference  (1844)  reported  fifty-nine  mem- 
bers. Rev.  N.  C.  Lewis  was  then  appointed  in  1844, 
and  S.  A.  Seaman  followed  in  1845,  and  remained  two 
years. 

The  building  in  Twenty-fourth  Street  had  been  in- 
tended to  be  but  temporary,  the  design  being  to  locate 
eventually  some  five  or  six  streets  above.  That  region, 
however,  had  not  been  graded,  an  elevation  known  as 
Strawberry  Hill  occupying  the  ground  between  Twenty- 
sixth  and  Thirty-third  Streets  and  Eighth  and  Ninth 
Avenues.  The  society,  however,  was  growing  even 
more  rapidly  than  was  expected,  and  it  was  proposed  to 
enlarge  the  little  church  ;  but  on  July  20,  1846,  it  was 
decided  that  this  would  not  be  advisable,  but  that  a 
new  location  should  be  sought  and  a  new  house  erected. 
Lots  were  secured  on  the  north  side  of  Thirtieth  Street, 
midway  between  Eighth  and  Ninth  Avenues,  for  $3,560, 
and  collections  begun. 

At  the  Conference  of  1847,  for  various  reasons,  the 
charge  was  left  to  be  supplied.  The  Rev.  John  Hewit 
occupied  the  pulpit  for  about  six  months.  In  Decem- 
ber Rev.   Samuel  Meredith,  since  of  the  Troy   Confer- 


Chelsea.  329 

ence,  succeeded  Mr.  Hewit.  Rev.  E.  0.  Haven,  after- 
ward Bishop,  then  became  pastor.  On  Monday,  June 
29,  1848,  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  house  Avas  laid 
after  addresses  from  Bishop  Janes  and  Rev.  Charles 
Pitman.*  The  basement  was  opened  on  Sunday,  January 
21,  1849,  with  a  sermon  hy  Bishop  Janes.f  On  July  11 
the  audience-room  was  dedicated.  Rev.  Joseph  Holdich, 
D.D.,  preaching  the  first  sermon,  and  Rev.  AY.  K.  Stop- 
ford  the  second.  The  dedication  was  by  Rev.  B.  Griffin, 
the  presiding  elder.J 

This  building  is  of  brick,  60  by  80  feet,  with  a 
basement  above  ground,  and  though  plain  is  one  of 
the  most  attractive  of  the  older  style  of  church  edi- 
fices in  the  city.  The  total  cost,  including  land  and 
furnishing,  was  about  8 17,500.  In  the  spring  of 
1853  a  parsonage  was  completed  at  the  cost  of  about 
$4,500. 

The  Minutes  give  the  following  statistics: 


YEAR.    MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

YEAR.    MEMBERS, 

PASTOR. 

1844 

59 

N.  C.  Lewis. 

1856 

458 

A. 

C.  Foss. 

1845 

105 

S.  A.  Seaman. 

1857 

470 

■' 

1846 

120 

" 

1858 

588 

J. 

Millard. 

1847 

135 

To  be  supplied. g 

1859 

715 

" 

1848 

160 

E.  0.  Haven. 

1860 

770 

J. 

W.  Lindsa}'. 

1849 

179 

" 

1861 

832 

" 

1850 

290 

J.  B.  Beach. 

1862 

732 

C. 

K.  True. 

1851 

345 

" 

1863 

768 

" 

1852 

391 

C.  Ishann. 

1864 

765 

J. 

B.  Haganv. 

1853 

434 

•' 

1865 

560 

1 

1854|| 

339 

D.  Buck. 

1866 

692 

A. 

C.  Foss. 

1855 

493 

" 

1867 

588 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxiii,  p.  103. 

f  Ihid.,  vol.  xxiv,  p.  10. 

X  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxiv,  pp.  110,  114,  and  Coles's  Later 
Years,  p.  282. 

§  J.  Hewit  ana  S.  Meredith  were  the  supplies. 

II  This  loss  of  about  one  hundred  members  was  caused  by  the 
org-anizatioii  of  the  Trinity  Church  in  Tiiirty-fourtli  Street. 

■'Mr.  Hagany  died  suddenly,  June  28,  1865.     A.  C.  Foss  supplied. 


330  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


YEAR.     1 

MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

TEAK.     1 

a  EMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

1868 

547 

A. 

D.  Vail. 

1880 

400 

W.  H.  Ferris. 

1869 

651 

" 

1881 

425 

C.  R.  North. 

1870 

633 

'• 

1882 

469 

" 

1871 

667 

H. 

H.  Birkins. 

1883 

441 

" 

1872 

699 

" 

1884 

445 

C.  Wright. 

1873 

560 

" 

1885 

510 

" 

1874 

543 

E. 

S.  Bishop. 

1886 

491 

" 

1875 

450 

G. 

H.  Corey. 

1887 

456 

J.  G.  Oakley. 

1876 

408 

" 

1888 

425 

•' 

1877 

492 

" 

1889 

325 

" 

1878 

492 

W 

.  r.  Abbott.* 

1890 

330 

W.  S.  Wioans,  Jr. 

1879 

385 

W. 

.  H.  Ferris. 

Church,  $38,000.  Parsonage,  $15,000.  No  debt.  Sal- 
ary, $1,800.  Rent,  $1,200.  Other  collections,  $625. 
Current  expenses,  $2,100.     Sunday-school,  300. 


WASHINGTON    SQUARE. 

(Sullivan  Street.) 

A  branch  of  the  Methodist  Society  organized  by 
Rev.  W.  M.  Stilvvell  in  1820  built  a  house  of  worship 
in  Sullivan  Street,  near  Spring,  which  Avas  opened  in 
1824.  In  1826  a  division  took  place  in  the  Methodist 
Society  ;  the  congregation  in  Sullivan  Street  became 
independent,  and  finally  united  with  the  Methodist 
Protestant  Church.  In  1839  the  building  was  sold 
and  a  new  one  erected  in  the  upper  part  of  the  same 
street,  near  Bleecker.  In  1841,  however,  the  debt  be- 
ing heavy,  the  larger  part  of  the  members  (all  but 
about  twenty)  chose  to  unite  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  in  1842  the  transfer  took  place. 
The  Rev.  G.  N.  Smith,  whose  health  had  compelled 
him  to  become  supernumerary  at  the  preceding  Con- 
ference, was  appointed  to  the  charge  (January,   1843). 

*Mr.  Abbott  died  December  26,  1878.     W.  H.  Ferris  supplied. 


Washington  Square.  331 

Its  reports  and  subsequent  appointments  were  as  fol- 
lows: 


YEAR.    MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

YEAR.    N 

lEMBERS, 

PA.STOR. 

1843 

200 

G.  X.  Smith. 

1852 

418 

S.  Fitch. 

1844 

300 

" 

1853 

379 

L.  M.  Vincent. 

1845 

320 

J.  Law. 

1854 

315 

" 

1846 

370 

" 

1855 

295 

W.  H.  Ferris. 

1847 

400 

D.  W.  Clark. 

1856 

300 

'• 

1848 

392 

" 

1857 

236 

J.  B.  Ha^any. 

1849 

400 

W.  H.  Ferri?. 

1858 

261 

C.  Shelling. 

1850 

476 

" 

1859 

259 

" 

1851 

425 

S.  Fitch. 

By  this  time  it  had  become  evident  that  the  building 
was  not  such  as  the  congregation  needed,  and  that  its 
location  was  unfavorable.  Land  was,  therefore,  bought 
in  Fourth  Street,  between  Sixth  Avenue  and  Washing- 
ton Square,  and  liere,  on  August  17,  1859,  the  corner- 
stone of  a  new  edifice  was  laid  by  Bishop  Janes,  Rev. 
Dr.  McClintock  assisting  in  the  services.*  This  was 
dedicated  on  Sunday,  June  10,  1860,  Rev.  J.  P.  Dur- 
bin,  Bishop  Simpson,  and  Rev.  R.  S.  Foster  (the  pastor) 
officiating.f  The  house  is  a  very  attractive  one,  about  65 
feet  by  90,  Avith  a  front  of  marble  and  a  basement  very 
much.above  ground.  It  cost  175,000.  In  the  Minutes, 
therefore,  the  name  "Sullivan  Street"  gives  place  to 
that  of  Washington  Square.  J  From  that  time  its  ap- 
pointments and  reports  are: 


YEAR.    : 

MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

YEAR.    1 

MEMBERS, 

PASTOR. 

1860 

238 

R. 

S.  Foster. 

1868 

413 

R. 

S.  Foster. 

1861 

254 

" 

1869 

404 

A. 

H.  Wyatt. 

1862 

236 

J. 

P.  Newman. 

1870 

434 

" 

1863 

255 

'• 

1871 

422 

i' 

1864 

273 

H. 

B.  Ridgaway. 

1872 

460 

W, 

.  P.  Abbott. 

1865 

321 

" 

1873 

460 

" 

18H6 

362 

" 

1874 

556 

» 

1867 

861 

R. 

S.  Foster. 

1875 

556 

W 

.  Lloyd. 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxxiv,  p.  127. 
f  Ibid.,  vol.  XXXV,  p.  95. 

I  The  Asbury  Church,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  sqiuire,  is  anotlier 
organization. 


332  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

YEAR.     MEMBERS.  PASTOR,  YEAR.     MEMBER«1.  PASTOR. 

1876  670  W.  Lloyd.  1884  539  M.  Hulbnrd. 

1877  547  J.M.King.  1885  566 

1878  606      '■  1886  624  J.  R.  Thompson. 

1879  645  W.F.Hatfield.  1887  537 

1880  670       "  1888  595 

1881  750  J.  J.  Roed.  1889  591  C.  H.  McAiiner. 

1882  788       "  1890  515 

1883  650       "   * 

Church,  $100,000.  Parsonage,  115,000.  No  debt. 
Salary,  12,500.  Rent,  $1,300.  Other  collections,  $8,795. 
Current  expenses,  $3,300.     Sunday-school,  625. 


ASBURY    CHURCH    IN    NORFOLK    STREET. 

It  is  not  at  all  surprising  that,  after  the  circuit  system 
had  been  abandoned  and  the  property  divided  among 
the  several  charge?,  the  attention  of  each  should  be 
turned  more  especially  to  its  own  interests.  It  Avas  in 
some  degree  necessary  indeed  that  their  stakes  should 
be  strengthened,  but  for  a  while  little  regard  was  paid 
to  lengthening  the  cords,  and  several  years  elapsed  be- 
fore any  new  chuich  enterjirise  was  undertaken.  Some 
of  the  congregations — as  Allen  Street,  Willett  Street, 
and  Second  Street — were  overflowing.  About  1842, 
principally  through  the  instrumentality  of  Rev.  J.  M. 
Howe,  M.D.,  John  Harper,  Daniel  and  Stephen  Barker, 
Crandall  Rich,  and  William  Mackrell,  tlie  "  Asbury 
Society  "  was  organized  "  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
the  number  of  churches  where  they  were  most  needed." 
Under  its  auspices  two  enterprises  were  undertaken,  the 
first  of  which  was  the  Asbury  Church  in  Norfolk  Street. 
Columbian  Hall,  in  Grand  Street,  a  little  east  of  the 
Bower}',  was  liired,  and  Rev.  E.  Withey  began  services 
there.     It  was  soon  filled  and  a  number  of  conversions 

*  Mr.  Reed  was  transferred  during  the  3'ear  to  the  Cincinnati  Con- 
ference and  Mr.  Hulburd  supplied. 


AsBURY  Church  in  Norfolk  Street.         333 

took  place.  Four  lots  of  ground  were  bought  on  the 
west  side  of  Norfolk  Street,  near  Stanton  Street,  and 
on  May  16,  1843,  the  corner-stone  of  -a  new  building 
was  laid  by  Rev.  J.  Dempster,  Rev.  S.  Olin  giving  an 
address.*  The  report  of  membership  in  1843  was  330, 
of  which  all  but  100  were  on  trial.  Mr.  Withey  re- 
turned for  a  second  year,  and  on  October  5  the  house 
was  dedicated,  Dr.  Olin  preaching  in  the  afternoon  on 
John  xiv,  1,  and  Dr.  Levings  in  the  evening  on  Heb. 
ii,  10.  f     Its  record  is: 

YEAR.      MEMBERS.  PASTOR.  YEAR.      MEMBERS.  PAPTOR. 

184:5  3:^0  E.  Wither.  1853  500     A.  S.  Fniucis. 

1844  590  N.White.  1854  515     H.  Beings. 

1845  475               "  1855  335     A.  H.  Ruhinson. 

1846  551  S.  Martindale.  1856  300     J.  E.  Searles. 

1847  501               "  1857  305 

1848  439  J.  Field.  1858  318     A.  S.  Francis. 

1849  479               "  1859  323 

1850  400  To  be  supplied,  f  1860  284     W.Lawrence. 

1851  609  J.  S.  Mitchell,  1861  225 

1852  527  A.  S.  Francis. 

In  the  Minutes  of  1861  the  name  of  this  charge  is  not 
found  in  the  list  of  appointments.  The  house  was 
sold  to  a  German  Reformed  congregation. 


JANE    STREET. 

{Hoine  Mission.) 

Wlien,  in  1844,  Mr.  Withey's  term  of  service  at  Nor- 
folk Street  had  expired,  he  was  appointed  home  mis- 
sionary in  the  city  of  New  York,  with  the  design  of 
getting  up  a  new  church  between  Bedford  and  Eight- 
eenth Streets.  A  hall  was  occupied  for  a  short  time, 
and  then  the  use  of  a  piece  of  ground  bounded  by 
West   Twelfth    Street     and    Greenwich    and    Seventh 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xvii,  p.  172.        f  Ibid.,  vol.  xviii,  p.  34. 
\  J.  S.  Mitchell  supplied. 


334  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Avenues,  used  for  storing  water-pipes,  was  secured. 
This  was  known  as  the  "  Pipe  Lot,"  and  here  Mr. 
Withey  preached  every  Sunday  afternoon  at  five 
o'clock.  When  the  cold  weather  came  on  the  serv- 
ices were  removed  to  the  old  Merchants'  Bank  build- 
ing, at  the  junction  of  Jane  and  Fourth  Streets  and 
Eightli  Avenue.  In  the  meanwhile  lots  had  been  pur- 
chased on  the  north  side  of  Jane  Street,  between 
Eighth  and  Greenwich  Avenues,  and  Kentucky  Hall 
hired  until  the  basement  of  the  new  church  was  com- 
pleted. The  corner-stone  of  this  building  was  laid  Oc- 
tober 22,  1845,  Bishop  Janes  and  Drs.  N.  Bangs  and 
P.  P.  Sandford  taking  part  in  the  services.*  The  base- 
ment was  occupied  about  August  1,  1845,  and  the  dedica- 
tion took  place  May  10,  1846,  with  a  sermon  by  Bishop 
Janes.  The  edifice  is  of  brick,  with  a  basement  above 
ground.     Its  record  in  the  Minutes  is: 


YEAR.    ^ 

.EMBERS, 

TASTOR. 

YEAR.    MKMBERS 

PASTOR. 

184-1 



E.  Withey. 

1865 

435 

J.  Croft. 

1815 

211 

" 

1866 

395 

T.  M.  Curry. 

1846 

275 

W.  Gothard. 

1867 

340 

" 

1847 

285 

" 

1868 

262 

R.  C.  Putney. 

1848 

212 

D.  Stocking. 

1869 

284 

" 

1849 

290 

" 

1870 

297 

W.  C.  Smith. 

1850 

290 

R.  C.  Putney. 

1871 

300 

" 

1851 

322 

" 

1872 

300 

F.  Hamblin. 

1852 

393 

H.  Lounsbury. 

1873 

313 

" 

1853 

380 

" 

1874 

480 

" 

1854 

405 

J.  B.  Wakeley. 

1875 

462 

W.  W.  Sever. 

1855 

326 

" 

1876 

375 

" 

1856 

495 

R.  C.  Putney. 

1877 

347 

'• 

1857 

525 

11 

1878 

354 

A.  Schriver. 

1858 

659 

H.  Lounsbury. 

1879 

326 

" 

1859 

594 

11 

1880 

325 

" 

1860 

500 

W.  H.  Evans. 

1881 

263 

P.  Gerraond. 

1861 

628 

" 

1882 

307 

" 

1862 

478 

D.  Buck. 

1883 

300 

" 

1863 

458 

" 

1884 

211 

N.  B.  Thompson. 

1864 

422 

J.  Croft. 

1885 

215 

" 

CItristian  Advocate,  vol.  xx,  p.  43. 


Jane  Steeet.  335 

YKAR.      MEMBERS.  PASTOR.  YEAR.      MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

1886  214     N.  B.  Thompson.  1889     581     Supplied  by  S.  Mer- 

1887  222  *  ritt. 

1888  701f  Supplied  by  S.  Mer-        1890     758     Supplied  by  S.Mer- 

ritt.  ritt   and    W.    C. 

Willing. 

A  few  years  ago  this  church  seemed  to  be  declining, 
but  a  gracious  work  has  added  largely  to  it,  and  it  is 
to  be  hoped  it  has  entered  on  a  new  career  of  prosperity. 

Church,  $50,000.  Two  parsonages,  $24,000.  Debt, 
$22,000.  Salary,  81,000.  Other  collections,  $892.  Cur- 
rent expenses,  $2,250.     Sunday-school  (in  1889),  325. 


MADISON    AND    CATHARINE    STREETS. 

In  the  Minutes  of  the  New  York  Conference  of  1843 
we  find  among  the  city  appointments,  "  Church  corner 
of  Madison  and  Catharine  Streets,  R.  Gilbert,  sup." 
This  congregatiqn  originated  in  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Ste- 
phen Barker  and  others,  who  bought  a  building  erected 
by  the  Fourth  Presbyterian  Church,  for  $13,000,  and 
began  Avith  a  membership  of  twelve.J  Its  succeeding 
appointments  and  reports  were: 


YEAR.    ; 

MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

1844 

216 

J. 

Floy. 

1850 

273 

J.  Floy. 

1845 

270 

" 

1851 

242 

" 

1846 

275 

J. 

L.  Gilder. 

1852 

240 

To  be  supplied.  J5 

1847 

3.37 

" 

185.3 

351 

J.  S.  Inskip. 

1848 

290 

J. 

Crawford. 

1854 

385 

W.  P.  Corbit. 

1849 

284 

" 

1855 

315 

" 

The  name  then    disappears  from  the    Minutes,  the 
charge   having  been   disbanded.     The  building  is  now 

*  Jane  and  Franklin  Streets  supplied  by  S.  Merritt. 

f  In  the  two  churches. 

ifGreenleaf's  History  of  the  Churches  of  New  York,  p.  300. 

g  Supplied  by  J.  S.  Inskip. 


836  x:l  history  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

occupied  as  a  mariners''  church,  the  successor  to  that 
in  Roosevelt  Street,  of  wliich  tlie  Rev.  Henry  Chase  was 
so  long  pastor. 


CHERRY    street. 

{Marinerti'  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.) 

During  the  session  of  the  General  Conference  of 
1844  the  corner-stone  of  a  building  was  laid  in  Cherry 
Street,  between  Clinton  and  Montgomery  Streets.*  It 
was  originated  by  some  members  of  the  Willett  Street 
Church,  and  bore  the  title  of  "  First  Mariners'  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church."  The  chapel  was  completed  and 
occupied  until  the  dedication  of  the  main  building-, 
which  took  place  October  31,  1844.  Rev.  S.  S.  Roszell, 
of  the  Baltimore  Conference,  preached  in  the  afternoon, 
and  Rev.  E.  T.  Taylor,  of  Boston,  in  the  evening.  The 
building  was  57^  "by  15  feet,  of  brick.  Its  history,  as 
given  in  the  Minutes,  is: 


YEAR. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

YKAR. 

MKMBKRS.                     PASTOR. 

1844 

151 

J. 

Poisal. 

1853 

193 

J.  11.  Perry. 

1845 

400 

R. 

Seiiey. 

1854 

131 

J.  Law. 

1846 

260 

L. 

H.  King. 

1855 

100 

a 

1847 

260 

" 

1856 

357 

W.  p.  Corbit. 

1848 

240 

J. 

A.  Sillick. 

1857 

415 

11 

1849 

216 

J. 

H.  Perry. 

1858 

363 

J.  S.  Inskip. 

1850 

216 

" 

1859 

415 

18.51 

154 

" 

1860 

404 

J.  0.  Rogers. 

1852 

162 

a 

1861 

400 

In  1861  the  name  is  not  found  in  the  list  of  appoint- 
ments, and  J.  O.  Rogers  goes  to  Alanson  Church.  The 
enterprise  had  not  been  successful,  though  collections 
were  taken  for  several  years  thronghout  the  Conference 
to  sustain  it.  The  property  was  sold  to  Mr.  Alanson 
Briggs,  who  used  it  for  a  cooper's  shop  and  storage. f 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xviii,  p.  183.       \  Ibid.,  vol.  xliv,  p.  97. 


Alaxson  Church,  Norfolk  Street.         337 

alanson  church,  norfolk  street. 

This  church  was  the  successor  of  Cherry  Street. 
A  building  erected  by  the  Baptist  Church,  of  which 
Rev.  Dr.  Armitage  was  pastor,  was  bought  princi- 
pally through  the  liberality  of  Mr.  Alanson  Briggs.  It 
stood  between  Grand  and  Broome  Streets,  and  was  a 
very  good  edifice  of  brown-stone. 

The  reports  of  the  Alanson  Church  were  : 


YBAR. 

MEMBERS.               PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBER 

S.              PASTOR. 

1861 



J.  0.  Rocfers. 

1874 

415 

C.  E.  Harris. 

1862 

380 

J.  E.  Searles. 

1875 

369 

W.  P.  Estes. 

1863 

360 

" 

1876 

386 

" 

1864 

330 

W.  P.  Corbit. 

1877 

361 

R.  Croolc. 

1865 

366 

" 

1878 

232 

•' 

1866 

393 

C.  E.  Harris. 

1879 

242 

F.  C.  Hill. 

1867 

406 

" 

1880* 

270 

" 

1868 

484 

(1 

1881 

235 

To  be  supplied.! 

1869 

495 

G.  W.  Woodruff. 

1882 

267 

D.  W.  Coiieli. 

1870 

440 

J.  Parker,  2d. 

1883 

271 

J.  Pilkiiigtou. 

1871 

525 

" 

1884 

213 

" 

1872 

535 

N.  (r.  Cheney. 

1885 

137 

R.  A.  Sadlier. 

1873 

572 

C.  E.  Harris. 

1886 

57 

The  name  disappears  from  the  list  of  appointments  in 
1886,  the  propeity  having  been  sold  to  the  Jews,  who 
now  occupy  it  as  a  synagogue.     In  its  stead  we  have  the 

MADISON    STREET    MISSION, 

"  to  be  supplied."  J     This  mission  reported  : 

YEAR.      MEMBERS.  PASTOR.  YEAR        MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

1887  23     M.  F.  Gumpton.  1889       18     To  be  supplied.  | 

1888  31     To  be  supplied.  §  1890       62  "   i[ 

The  building  is  a  dwelling  (No.  209),  the  upper 
stories  occupied  as  a  parsonage.     It  was  dedicated  Oc- 

*  In  1880  the  property  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  City  Church 
Extensiou  Society. 

f  D.  W.  Couch  supplied.  :j:  M.  F.  Cornpton  supplied. 

§  G.  N.  Cnmpion  supplied.  ||  J.  S.  Stone  supplied. 

^  S.  Merritt  supplied. 


338  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

tober  19,  1886,  and  is  valued  at  $25,000.  No  debt. 
Salary,  $1,800.  Rent,  $1,200.  Other  collections,  $47. 
Current  expenses,  $121.     Sunday-school,  100. 


DRY     DOCK. 

{Ninth  Street.) 

On  April  20,  1845,  a  Sunday-school  was  opened  in  a 
room  over  a  lager-beer  saloon  in  East  Tenth  Street,  be- 
tween Avenues  B  and  C,  and  on  the  second  Sunday  in  May 
preaching  was  begun.  An  association  of  ladies,  known 
as  the  Ladies'  Methodist  Home  Missionary  Society,  had 
the  enterprise  in  charge,  employing  Rev.  Joseph  Long- 
king  as  missionary.*  A  shanty  was  afterward  erected 
and  occupied  until  a  substantial  brick  building  was  put 
up  on  the  corner  of  Ninth  Street  and  Avenue  B.  The 
corner-stone  was  laid  August  24,  1846,  by  Bishop  Janes, 
after  addresses  by  Rev.  Dr.  Roberts,  of  Baltimore,  and 
Rev,  W.  H.  Milburn.f  The  dedication  took  place  on 
Thursday,  January  21,  1847,  Bishop  Hamline  preaching 
on  Psa.  Ixxxiv,  1.  The  building  was  of  brick,  48  feet 
by  70.J  Mr.  Longking  continued  in  charge  until  the  Con- 
ference of  1846.     After  that  its  record  was  as  follows: 


185-4  246     W.  McAllister. 

185.5  301 

1856  270  J.  Henson. 

1857  294 

1858  4^8  S.  C.  Keeler. 

1859  356 

1852  239  T.  C.  Youngs.       1860  378  J.  S.  Inskip. 

1853  303       "  1861  352       "  § 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xx,  p.  86.  \  Ibid.,  vol  xxi,  p.  14. 

\Ibid.,  vol.  xxii,  pp.  7,  15. 

§  In  the  summer  of  1861  Mr.  Inskip  was  appointed  chaplain  in  tlie 
army,  and  the  pulpit  was  supplied  from  various  sources  during  the 
rest  of  the  year. 


YBAR. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

1846 

34     G. 

Brown. 

1847 

110 

•' 

1848 

290     M. 

D'C.  Crawford. 

1849 

214 

" 

1850 

237     E. 

E.  Griswold. 

1851 

268 

" 

Dry   Dock.  339 

YEAR.      MEMBERS.  PASTOR.  YEAR.      MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

1862  293     J.  B.  Merwin.  1864     — ■     To  be  supplied. 

1863  229     A.  H.  Mead. 

In  1865  the  name  disappears  from  the  Minutes.  The 
foreign  population  was  rapidly  gaining  ascendency  in 
the  neighborhood,  and  the  congregation  became  discour- 
aged. The  property  was  sold  and  the  proceeds  reserved 
for  a  future  enterprise  in  that  vicinity. 


ELEVENTH    STREET. 

{Avenue  A  Mission.) 

After  the  church  in  Ninth  Street  had  been  sold  it 
was  felt  that  something  should  be  done  for  that  neigh- 
borhood, and  on  May  13,  1866,*  a  Sunday-school  was 
organized  at  145  Avenue  A,  near  Tenth  Street,  and 
preaching  and  prayer-meetings  begun.  Not  long  after 
a  lot,  40  feet  by  103,  was  obtained  in  Eleventh  Street, 
near  Avenue  B,  and  the  corner-stone  was  laid  in  the 
autumn  of  1867.f  The  dedication  took  place  on  Sun- 
day, January  12,  1868,  Bishop  Janes  preaching. J  The 
building  is  of  brick,  in  simple  Gothic  style,  costing 
$25,000,  of  Avhich  $9,697  50  was  provided  for  by  the 
proceeds  of  old  Ninth  Street.  In  addition  to  this 
$5,000  had  been  raised,  leaving  about  $10,000  to  be 
obtained.  Of  this  amount  $9,000  Avas  subscribed  on  the 
day  of  dedication,  and  J.  B.  Cornell  became  responsible 
for  the  rest. 

For  several  years  this  charge  was  under  the  care  of 
the  city  missionaries  on  the  east  side,  and  its  name  does 

*  Another  report  says  August  7. 

f  Letter  from  Rev.  G.  HoUis. 

X  Chruitian  Advocate,  vol.  xliii,  p.  21. 


340  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

not  appear  on  the  Minutes  until  1873.     From  that  date 
its  record  is: 


YPAB. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR, 

YEAR. 

MEMBER 

S.                   PABTOR. 

1873 

50     A. 

Graham. 

1875 

93 

A.  Giaham. 

1874 

84 

'■ 

1876 

73 

In  1876-78  Wesley  Chapel  and  Eleventh  Street 
were  united  under  the  charge  of  A.  C.  Morehouse,  and 
also  in  1879  under  S.  H.  Smith.  But  in  1880  they  sep- 
arated, and  we  have: 


YEAR,  MEMBERS,  PASTOR, 

1880  S,  H,  Smith. 

1881  171 

1882  183     D.  McMullen, 

1883  151 

1884  147     A.  A.  Lathbury, 

1885  169 


YEAR, 

MEMBERS,                     PASTOR. 

1886 

182     A,  A,  Lathbury. 

1887 

172     L.  Richardsou. 

1888 

156 

1889 

128               " 

1890 

98     To  be  supplied  bv 

R,  C,  Manly, 

Church,  $30,000.  No  parsonage.  Debt,  $10,000.  Sal- 
ary, $880.  Rent,  $420.  Other  collections,  $113.  Cur- 
rent expenses,  $383.     Sunday-school,  369. 


Lexington  Avenue.  341 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

CHURCHES:  LEXINGTON  AVRNUE-SEYENTEENTH  STREET 
—THIRTY-SEVENTH    STREET— TRINITY  (34th  Street)— 
FORTY-FOURTH  STREET— ST.  JOHN'S— TWENTY-FOURTH 
STREET— TRINITY  (118th  Street)— BEEKMAN  HILL. 

LEXINGTON    AVENUE. 

(Fiftieth  Street.) 

In  the  Minutes  of  184Y  we  have  for  the  first  time  the 
name  of  "  Fiftieth  Street  Mission."  In  connection  with 
Twenty-seventh  Street  a  class  of  ten  members  had 
been  formed  in  November,  1844,  and  a  Sunday-school 
organized  and  preaching  begun  on  the  second  floor  of  an 
old  building  in  Forty-fourth  Street,  near  Tliird  Avenue.* 
In  the  spring  of  1846  land  was  obtained  in  Fiftieth 
Street,  west  of  Third  Avenue,  and  a  frame  building 
erected  32  by  45  feet  with  a  basement.  It  was  dedi- 
cated Decernber  3,  1846,  by  Bishop  Janes.f  In  the 
following  spring  Thomas  Carter  was  appointed  to  the 
charge,  and  we  find  its  record  to  be  as  follows: 


1847 


_     T.  Carter.  1854       80     J.  H.  Romer. 

1848       56  "  1855       80 

1849 


,„_  52  J.  W.  Macomber.  185G  65  R.  Kortright. 

1850  63  S.  C.  Perry.  1857  GO  S.  Orcutt. 

1851  51              "  1858  171 

1852  56  O.E.Brown.  1859  136  W.P.Strickland. 

1853  GO              •'  1860  140  W.  M.  Cliipp. 

At  this  time  the  Beekman  Hill  enterprise  was  begun, 
and    it  was    proposed   that  Fiftieth    Street   should    be 

*GreenleaPs  History  of  the  Churches  in  New  York,  p.  293. 
\  Christian  Advocate^  vol.  xxiii,  p.  3. 


342  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

united  with  it.  The  property  was  sold,  but  ?.  majority 
of  the  membership  refused  to  go  into  the  new  organ- 
ization. The  report  in  1861  was  114  members.  In 
1861-02  J.  C.  Washburne  was  appointed,  and  a  hall 
was  hired  in  which  the  congregation  met.  In  1862  the 
membership  had  fallen  to  85.  A  new  church  edifice, 
however,  was  undertaken  at  the  corner  of  Lexington 
Avenue  and  Fifty-second  Street.  The  cornei"-stone 
was  laid  June  5,  1862,  by  Bishop  Janes,*  and  the  lect- 
ure-room was  opened  December  7.  The  audience-room 
was  not  dedicated  until  May  27,  1866,  when  Rev.  C.  D. 
Foss  preached  in  the  morning  and  Rev.  M.  D'C.  Craw- 
ford in  the  evening.     Its  record  since  has  been: 


YEAR. 

MKMBKB: 

S.                PASTOR. 

YKAR.     MEMBERS, 

PASTOR. 

1863 

120 

A.  M.  Hough. 

1876 

200 

J.  W.  Selleck. 

1864 

125 

11 

1877 

169 

W.  H.  Mickle. 

1865 

146 

A.  McLean. 

1878 

232 

" 

1866 

167 

W.  H.  Evans. 

1879 

229 

" 

1867 

120 

" 

1880 

165 

H.  H.  Birkins. 

1868 

164 

" 

1881 

163 

»' 

1869 

135 

R.  M.  Siratton. 

1882 

146 

" 

1870 

211 

" 

1883 

161 

C.  Wright. 

1871 

218 

" 

1884 

163 

R.  Wheatley. 

1872 

209 

P.  S.  De  Hass. 

1885 

122 

" 

1873 

286 

" 

1886 

80 

" 

187-1 

204 

J.  B.  Wakeley. 

1887 

119 

1875 

206 

J.  W.  Selleck. 

The  property  then  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  City 
Church  Extension  Society,  and  is  now  occupied  by  the 
Swedish  Mission. 


SEVENTEENTH    STREET. 

(Sixteenth  Street  Mission — Bedding  Mission.) 

This  church  owes  its  origin  to  the  Ladies'  Home 
Missionary  Society,  and  is  one  year  younger  than  the 
New  York  East  Conference.  In  the  Minutes  of  the 
first  separate  session  of  that  body  (1849)  we  find,  at 

*  Chrisiian  Advocate^  vol.  xxxvii,  p.  184. 


Skventeenth  Street. 


343 


the  end  of  the  appointments  of  the  New  York  East 
District,  "  Sixteenth  Street  Mission,  to  be  supplied." 
Their  first  place  of  worship  was  a  dwelling  on  the  east 
side  of  First  Avenue,  between  Sixteenth  and  Seven- 
teenth Streets.  In  1851  we  have  the  first  report  of  its 
membership,  and  it  then  took  the  name  of  Hedding 
Mission.     The  Minutes  give  us  these  items: 


YEAR. 

MEMBERS.                PASTOR, 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS.                     PASTOR. 

1851 

36 

W.  Silverthorn. 

1871 

359 

J.  S.  Willis. 

1852 

40 

To  be  supplied. 

1872 

336 

W.  H.  Boole. 

1853 

181 

S.  Howland. 

1873 

287 

'' 

1854 

190 

To  be  supplied.* 

1874 

366 

li 

1855 

220 

Joha  Crawford. 

1875 

356 

J.  H.  Lightbourn. 

1856 

230 

t( 

1876 

202 

" 

1857 

271 

G.  R.  Crooks. 

1877 

163 

P.  D.  Ware. 

1858 

304 

a 

1878 

160 

" 

1859 

291 

J.  A.  Roche. 

1879 

142 

G.  H.  Goodsell. 

1860 

340 

" 

1880 

159 

A.  B.  Sauford. 

1861 

274 

A.  Stevens. 

1881 

152 

<i 

1862 

285 

" 

1882 

139 

" 

1863 

323 

G.  R.  Crooks. 

1883 

108 

N.  Hubbell. 

1864 

275 

" 

1884 

150 

" 

1865 

282 

" 

1885 

214 

I.  E.  Smith. 

1866 

238 

W.  P.  Corbit. 

1886 

168 

" 

1867 

275 

" 

1887 

183 

A.  C.  Moreliouse. 

1868 

310 

11 

1888 

134 

" 

1869 

308 

J.  S.  Willis. 

1889 

152 

u 

1870 

331 

u 

1890 

121 

" 

The  church  is  on  the  north  side  of  Seventeenth 
Street,  between  First  and  Second  Avenues.  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  December  6,  1852,  by  Bishop  Janes,f 
and  the  lecture-room  was  opened  May  15,  1853,  with  a 
sermon  by  Bishop  Simpson.J  The  dedication  was  on 
March  27,  1854,  Rev.  J.  P.  Durbin  officiating.  A 
parsonage  was  built  in  1854, 

Church,  140,000.  Parsonage,  |(1 8,000.  Debt,  17,000. 
Salary,  $1,200.  Rent,  |1, 000.  Other  collections,  $340. 
Current  expenses,  $990.     Sunday-school,  1,018. 

*A.  Steele  supplied.  f  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxvii,  p.  195. 

\Ibid.,  vol.  xxviii,  p.  75. 
23 


344  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

THIRTY-SEVENTH     STREET. 

(Kipji's  Bay.) 

In  the  Minutes  of  tlie  New  York  East  Conference  of 
1854  we  read,  "  Twenty-seventh  Street  and  Thirty- 
seventh  Street,  D.  Curry,  V,  Buck."  The  society  in 
Twenty-seventh  Street  established  a  Sunday-school 
about  December,  1853,  and,  not  long  after,  ground  was 
obtained  on  the  north  side  of  Thirty-seventh  Street, 
about  half-way  between  Second  and  Third  Avenues. 
A  shanty  which  stood  on  the  rear  of  the  lot  was  occu- 
pied for  a  season,  and  in  the  fall  of  1854  a  brick  dwell- 
ing was  put  up  on  the  eastern  part  of  the  property,  in- 
tended for  a  parsonage,  the  first  floor  of  which  was 
occupied  for  a  Avhile  as  a  place  of  worship.  At  length 
a  church  was  built  of  brick,  with  a  basement  mostly 
above  ground.  This  was  dedicated  March  13,  1859, 
with  services  conducted  by  Rev.  J.  Kennady,  Rev. 
Thomas  De  Witt,  of  the  Reformed  Church,  and  Rev. 
J.  Porter.     Its  record  is  as  follows: 


YEAH.      1 

iiembkk: 

5.                    PASTOK. 

YEAR. 

MEMBER! 

;.                        PASTOR, 

1854* 



V.  Buck. 

1870 

402 

T.  H.  Burch. 

1855* 



" 

1871 

376 

•' 

1 856 

98 

H.  Husled. 

1872 

350 

•' 

1857 

80 

" 

1873 

286 

R.  Meredith. 

1858 

90 

J.  S.  MitclieJl. 

1874 

240 

" 

1859 

137 

" 

1875 

208 

W.  H.  Russell. 

1860 

284 

W.  McAllister. 

1876 

205 

" 

1861 

285 

" 

1877 

182 

C.   P.  Corner. 

1862 

257 

D.  Ciirrj. 

1878 

217 

1863 

255 

" 

1879 

266 

E.  A.  Blake. 

1864 

260 

W.  H.  Boole. 

1880 

2('o 

" 

1865 

310 

" 

1881 

221 

•' 

1866 

:)22 

" 

1882 

208 

G.  H   Goodsell. 

1867 

318 

W.   MeAllister. 

1883 

298 

" 

1868 

380 

" 

1884 

250 

" 

1869 

391 

*' 

1885 

219 

J.  S.  AVhedon. 

*  Reported  with  Twenty-seventh  Street. 


Thirty-seventh  Street.  345 


TEAE. 

MEMBERS.                  PASTOR. 

YEAR.      ] 

MEMBERS.                     PASTOR. 

1886 

218     J.  S.  Whedon 

1889 

194     R.  T.  McNicholl. 

1887 

188 

1890 

232 

1888 

201     R.  T.  McNicholl. 

In  1879,  the  congregation,  finding  itself  heavily 
burdened,  made  over  the  property  to  the  City  Church 
Extension  Society.  The  debt  has  been  paid,  and  the 
church  is  now  valued  at  140,000.  The  parsonage,  how- 
ever, has  been  sold. 

Salary,  |1,500.  Rent,  $600.  Other  collections,  $569. 
Current  expenses,  $1,221.     Sunday-school,  281. 


trinity. 

{Frte  Tabernacle — Thirty-fourth  Street.) 

In  the  statistics  of  the  Chelsea  (Thirtieth  Street) 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  1854  there  appears  a 
loss  of  nearly  one  luindred  members.  An  unfortunate 
controversy  in  regard  to  the  renting  of  pews  resulted 
in  the  withdrawal  of  a  number,  many  of  whom  had  been 
among  the  most  zealous  friends  of  the  Church.  They 
met  for  a  time  in  a  hall  on  Eighth  Avenue,  near  Thirty- 
fourth  Street,  and  finally  erected  a  building  on  tlie 
south  side  of  Thirty-fourth  Street,  a  little  east  of 
Eighth  Avenue,  which  was  called  the  Trinity  Church.* 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  July  12,  1855,f  by  Bishop 
Janes,  addresses  being  delivered  by  E.  O.  Haven,  Dr.  A, 
M.  Osbon,  etc.  The  dedication  took  place  on  June  29, 
1856,  Bishop  Janes  jjreaching  in  the  morning.  Rev.  H. 
Mattison  in  the  afternoon.  Dr.  R.  S.  Foster  in  the  even- 
ing. The  building  was  of  blue  stone,  65  feet  by  99, 
with  a  tower  90  feet  high,  and  was  both  externally  and 

*TIiis  must  not  be  confounded  witli  tlie  present  Trinity  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  East  118th  Street. 

f  Christian  Advocate^  vol.  xxx,  pp.  Ill,  115. 


346  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

internally  a  very  fine    edifice.      Its  appointments  and 
statistics  wei-e  : 


YEAR. 

MEMBERS.                     PASTOR. 

VEAR. 

MEMBEE6 

PASTOR. 

1854 

58 

To  be  supplied.* 

1864 

276 

A. 

Cookman. 

1855 

105 

u 

1865 

291 

T. 

F.  Hildreth. 

1856 

119 

R.  S.  Foster. 

1866 

300 

1857 

155 

M.  D'C.  Crawford. 

1867 

267 

1858 

181 

" 

1868 

215 

C. 

D.  Foss. 

1859 

193 

To  be  supplied.! 

1869 

257 

1860 

246 

J.  L.  McKown. 

1870 

240 

1861 

247 

G.  S.  Hare. 

1871 

238 

J. 

E.  Cookman. 

1862 

259 

II 

1872 

241 

1863 

251 

A.  Cookman. 

1873 

251 

During  Mr.  Cookman's  last  term  the  members,  finding 
their  burdens  too  heavy,  and  the  organization  of  St. 
Luke's,  in  Forty-first  Street,  near  Sixth  Avenue,  prob- 
ably drawing  largely  on  the  material  of  which  their 
congregation  was  composed,  concluded  to  abandon  the 
enterprise,  and  gave  the  property  to  the  City  Church 
Extension  Society.  The  seats  were  made  free  and 
the  name  changed  to  Free  Tabei-nacle.  Mr.  Cookman 
remained,  and  the  record  after  this  is  : 

YEAR.     MEMBERS.  PASTOR.  YEAR.      MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

1874  318  L.H.King.  1878  311  W.  N.  Searles. 

1875  290  J.  Johns.  1879  367      " 

1876  300      "  1880  303 

1877  318      " 

During  this  last  year,  however,  the  Church  Extension 
Society  concluded  to  sell  the  property.  After  cancel- 
ing a  mortgage  of  $38,000,  $11,000  was  used  to  pur- 
chase lots  in  Seventy-first  Street  for  the  St.  Andrew's 
Church,  $6,000  to  purchase  lots  in  109tli  Street  for  the 
Church  of  the  Saviour,  and  Sixty-first  Street,  Fifty- 
third  Street,  and  Beekman  Hill  were  each  aided  to  the 
amount  of  $5,000.  Thus,  though  a  fine  building  was 
lost,  its  proceeds  seem  to  have  been  used  judiciously 
to  strengthen  other  enterpi-ises  of  more  promise. 

*  Supplied  by  H.  Mattison.         f  Supplied  by  J.  L.  McKown. 


Forty-fourth  Street.  347 

forty-fourth  street. 

{Janes   Church.) 

The  Janes  Church  originated  in  a  Sunday-school  be- 
gun by  members  of  the  Forty-third  Street  Church,  in 
Eleventh  Avenue  near  Forty-fourth  Street,  about  1857. 
City  missionaries  supplied  it  for  several  yeare,  until 
1863.  On  Sunday,  June  25,  of  that  year,  the  build- 
ing was  deilicated  with  a  sermon  by  Rev.  C.  D.  Foss. 
It  is  near  Eleventh  Avenue,  is  32  feet  by  70,  and  cost, 
including  the  ground,  $20,000.*  It  has  a  stone  front, 
and  is  pleasant  and  commodious.     Its  record  is  : 


YKAB.      1 

WEMBEKS 

PASTOR. 

YEAH. 

MBMBEH8.                     PASTOH. 

1863 

J.  0.  Washburn. 

1877 

203 

S.  I.  Ferguson. 

1864 

63 

" 

1878 

176 

G.  H.  Corey. 

]865 

58 

ii 

1879 

175 

" 

1866 

110 

J.  F.  Richmond. 

1880 

202 

J.  E.  Gorse. 

1867 

135 

" 

1881 

200 

" 

1868 

175 

" 

1882 

195 

J.  G.  Oakley. 

1869 

208 

U.  Messiier. 

1883 

193 

" 

1870 

195 

" 

1884 

240 

It 

1871 

190 

" 

1885 

215 

L.  H.  King. 

1872 

185 

W.  Ostrander. 

1886 

190 

" 

1873 

180 

•' 

1887 

205 

"  + 

1874 

270 

" 

1888 

192 

J.   Rowe. 

1875 

216 

S.  I.  Ferguson. 

1889 

188 

W.  E.  Keteham, 

1876 

222 

" 

1890 

166 

H.  C.  Earl. 

Church,  $35,000.  Parsonage,  $10,000.  Debt,  $6,000. 
Salary,  $1,200.  Rent,  $800.  Other  collections,  $183. 
Current  expenses,  $1,250.     Sunday-school,  150. 


ST.  John's. 

{Fifty-third  Street.) 

In  May,  1858,  the  second  story  of  a  frame  building 
at  the  corner  of  Fifty-eighth  Street  and  Eighth  Avenue 
was  hired  and  fitted  up  for  public  services,  and  the  first 

*  Cliristian  Advocate,  vol.  xl,  p.  205. 
f  Mr.  King  died  Xovember  18,  1887. 


348  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

sermon  was  preached  by  Rev,  J.  liongking  on  May  22. 
In  October  of  the  same  year  a  Baptist  church,  in  Fifty- 
third  Street,  between  Broadway  and  Eighth  Avenue, 
of  which  the  brick  basement  liad  been  roofed  over  and 
fitted  for  a  place  of  worship,  was  bought  for  $12,000. 
The  last  service  in  this  building  was  held  April  9,  18V0, 
after  which  it  was  torn  down  and  the  corner-stone  of 
the  present  edifice  laid  by  Bishop  Janes  on  June  30, 
1870.  The  charge  was  for  a  time  a  part  of  the  mission 
work  on  the  west  side,  and  its  name  first  appears  on  the 
Minutes  in  1862,  after  which  its  record  is: 

YEAR.      MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 


YEAR.     1 

MEMBEn^ 

PASTOR. 

1862 

. 

A. 

McLean. 

]8(;:! 

145 

('. 

K.  Harris. 

1864 

104 

T. 

Lodge. 

1865 

92 

"' 

1866 

100 

G. 

C.  Esray. 

1867 

100 

" 

1868 

186 

W 

.   Ooss. 

1869 

126 

" 

1870 

133 

" 

1871 

122 

A. 

D.  Vail. 

1872 

209 

" 

1873 

227 

" 

1874 

245 

J. 

M.  King. 

1875 

277 

" 

1876 

3:!8 

" 

1877 

■M)G 

J. 

F 

McCldland, 

1878 

298 

(t. 

V 

an  Alstyne. 

1879 

344 

A. 

P 

.  Lvon. 

1880 

2-16 

J. 

J. 

Dean. 

ISSl 

192 

11 

1882 

176 

t;, 

.  K 

.  Strobridge 

1883 

329 

•' 

1884 

402 

" 

1885 

375 

J. 

W 

.  Ackerly. 

1886 

345 

" 

1887 

310 

" 

1888 

'-'35 

J. 

E. 

Gorse. 

1889 

237 

" 

189'J 

248 

" 

The  elevated  railroad  runs  in  front  of  the  building  and 
seriously  interferes  w  ith  the  prosperity  of  the  Churcli. 

Church,  $75,000.  No  parsonage.  Debt,  $10,000. 
Salary,  $1,500.  Other  collections,  $427.  Current  ex- 
penses, $1,600.     Sunday-school,  230. 


TWENTY  FOURTH    STREET. 

(Second  Church  on  that  site.) 

After  the  Chelsea  Church  removed  to  its  new  edifice 
in  Thirtieth  Street  the  building  in  Twenty-fourth  Street 
was   used  by  a  congregation  of  Universalists.     At  the 


Twenty-fourth  Street.  349 

New  York  Conference  of  1859  Rev.  W.  H.  Ferris  was 
appointed  to  the  New  York  City  Mission.  In  the 
basement  of  a  church  building  in  Twenty-fourth  Street, 
between  Sixth  and  Seventh  Avenues,  the  audience-room 
of  which  was  occupied  by  a  society  of  the  "Evangel- 
ical Association,"  generally  known  as  Albrights,  he 
found  a  congregation  which  invited  him  to  take  them 
under  his  care,  and  he  accordingly  organized  them  as 
a  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Rev.  Joseph  Longking 
was  assisting  Mr.  Ferris,  and  finding  the  accommoda- 
tions not  all  that  was  desirable,  and  learning  that  the 
old  building  near  Ninth  Avenue  was  unoccupied,  at  hi-s 
suggestion  it  was  obtained  for  the  use  of  the  society. 
On  September  11,  1859,  it  was  re-opened  with  a  sermon 
by  Rev.  James  Porter;  but  on  Sunday  morning,  October 
29,  a  little  before  the  hour  of  service,  it  was  burned 
down.  A  hall  on  Eighth  Avenue  was  occupied  for  a 
season;  but  at  length  two  lots,  that  on  which  the 
church  had  stood  and  one  adjoining  it,  on  the  east,  were 
bought  for  18,600.  The  corner-stone  of  a  new  building 
was  laid  August  8,  1860,  by  Bishop  Janes,*  and  on 
October  25,  the  basement  story  having  been  finished  and 
covered  with  a  temporary  roof,  was  dedicated  by  the 
same  bishop.f  On  Sunday,  July  21,  1866,  the  building, 
having  been  completed,  was  dedicated,  Bishop  Janes 
again  officiating.;];  The  following  is  its  record  from 
the  time  of  its  appearance  in  the  Minutes  as  a  separate 
chars:e: 


VE4R.     ! 

JKMBEKS.                         PASTOR. 

YKAR.     MEMBRRS.                       PASTOR. 

1862 

T.  Lodge. 

1866     372     A.  K.  Sniiford. 

1863 

245 

1867     P.43     T.  W.  Cliadvvick. 

1864 

262     A.  K.  Saiiford. 

1868     375     J.  E.  Gorse. 

1865 

252 

1869     415 

*  Christian  Adcocafe,  vol.  xxxv,  p.  130. 

j;  Ibid.,  vol.  xxxv,  p.  187.  I  Ibid.,  vol.  xlii,  p.  237. 


350  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


VKiR. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBER! 

PASTOR. 

1870 

366 

J. 

E.  Gorse. 

1881 

363 

0. 

Haviland. 

1871 

377 

J. 

W.  Selleck. 

1882 

358 

" 

1872 

402 

" 

1883 

328 

W 

.  X.  Searles. 

1873 

315 

" 

1884 

350 

" 

1874 

281 

T. 

Lodge. 

1885 

372 

A. 

K.  Sanford. 

1875 

350 

'• 

1886 

386 

" 

1876 

290 

" 

1887 

390 

" 

1877 

267 

B. 

H.  Burch. 

1888 

358 

J. 

E.  Cookman 

1878 

312 

" 

1889 

389 

11* 

1879 

321 

" 

1890 

370 

R. 

M.  St  ration. 

1880 

354 

0. 

Haviland. 

Church,  $50,000.  Parsonage,  $12,000.  Debt,  $14,500. 
Salary,  $1,533.  Rent,  $1,000.  Other  collections,  $785. 
Current  expenses,  $2,236.     Sunday-school,  300. 


trinity,   east    ONE-HUNDRED-AND-EIGHTEENTII    STftEKT. 

{Second  Avenue.) 

On  a  pleasant  Sunday  in  July,  1859,  a  little  company 
met  for  religious  services  in  the  basement  of  the  house 
of  Mi-s.  Hester  Ann  Clark,  on  East  li^Oth  Street.  In 
September  of  the  same  year  four  lots  were  bought  on 
116th  Street,  east  of  Second  Avenue,  and  preparations 
made  to  put  up  a  temporary  building  at  a  cost  of  $4,000. 
On  October  10,  the  Rev.  Heman  Bangs,  presiding  elder, 
formed  a  society,  and  about  the  same  time  Rev.  Valen- 
tine Buck  M^as  appointed  pastor.  Land  was  afterward 
secured  at  the  corner  of  119th  Street  and  Second  Av- 
enue, and  the  corner-stone  of  a  brick  edifice  was  laid 
August  27,  1860,  by  Drs.  Kennady  and  Scudder.f     The 

*  Mr.   Cookman  resigned    shortly  after  Conference  to    enter  tlio 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church.     R.  M.  Stratton  supplied. 
\  Christina  Admcate,  vol.  xxv,  p.  142. 


Trinity,  East  118th  Street.  351 

basement  was  occupied  in  December,  I860,*  and  the 
building  was  dedicated  on  September  15,  1861,  Rev. 
J.  H.  Perry  preaching  on  Isa.  xlvi,  IS.f  In  1882,  the 
elevated  railroad  in  Second  Avenue  proving  a  serious 
disturbance  to  the  congregation,  this  property  was  sold 
for  $27,600,  and  on  June  12  the  corner-stone  of  a  new 
church  was  laid  on  the  north  side  of  118th  Street,  east 
of  Second  Avenue.  This  was  dedicated  October  28, 
1883.  The  total  cost  was  1105,000.  Its  statistics  and 
pastors  have  been: 


YKAB.      MKMBKES 

PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

1860 

40 

G.  S.  Gilbert. 

t 

1876 

561 

T.  H.  Burch. 

ISfil 

101 

" 

1877 

555 

" 

1862 

119 

J.  L.  Peck. 

1878 

551 

L.  S.  Weed. 

1863 

126 

" 

1879 

609 

" 

1864 

140 

A.  H.  Mead. 

1880 

585 

J.  Johns. 

1865 

140 

" 

1881 

633 

" 

1866 

92 

To  be  supplied.  § 

1882 

665 

" 

1867 

224 

John  Parker, 

2d. 

1883 

594 

T.  H.  Burch. 

1868 

315 

" 

1884 

607 

u 

1869 

370 

W.  C.  Steele. 

1885 

596 

" 

1870 

440 

11 

1886 

•717 

M.  Hulburd. 

1871 

440 

" 

1887 

833 

" 

1872 

457 

W.  W.  Bowdish. 

1888 

945 

" 

1873 

455 

" 

1889 

837 

T.  H.  Burch. 

1874 

569 

" 

1890 

689 

" 

1875 

631 

T.  H.  Burch. 

This  is  at  present  the  most  flourishing  church  in  the 
city  under  the  care  of  the  New  York  East  Conference. 

Church,  $97,000.  Parsonage,  $13,000.  Debt,  $23,900. 
Salary,  $2,400.  Rent,  $800.  Other  collections, 
$2,610.     Current  expenses,  $4,100.    Sunday-school,  885. 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxxvi,  p.  5. 

f  Ibid.,  vol.  xxxvi,  p.  296. 

j  J.  B.  Merwin  was  appointed  to  Second  Avenue,  and  G.  S.  Gil- 
bert to  Waterbury,  Conn.,  but  immediately  after  Conference  an  ex- 
change was  made. 

§  J.  Parker,  2d,  supplied. 


352  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

BEEKMAN    HILL, 

{Fiftieth  Stred.) 

On  Tuesday,  March  20,  1860,  a  class  of  twelve  per- 
sons was  oruanized  in  the  Beeknian  Mansion*  by  the  Rev. 
J.  S.  Mitchell,  then  j^astor  of  the  Thirty-seventh  Street 
Church.  On  April  5  a  board  of  trustees  was  elected, 
and  on  May  9  the  first  quarterly  conference  was  held. 
On  the  morning  of  September  16  a  Sunday-school  of 
seventeen  scholars  was  organized  in  a  carpenter's  sliop 
near  the  corner  of  Second  Avenue  and  Fifty-first  Street. 
In  the  afternoon,  at  four  o'clock.  Rev.  F.  S.  De  Hass 
preached  on  Num.  xiii,  30:  "  Let  us  go  up  at  once,  and 
possess  it;  for  we  are  well  able  to  overcome  it."  On 
the  next  Sunday  the  school  had  doubled  and  the  con- 
gregation had  greatly  increased.  This  "  shanty,"  as  it 
was  called,  was  occupied  by  the  school  and  congrega- 
tion for  more  than  a  year.  Ground  was  bought,  and 
on  October  14,  1861,  a  chapel  was  begun,  the  lower 
part  of  which  was  occupied  on  Jamiary  26,  1862, 
and  the  upper  part  on  July  20,  Bishop  Janes  preach- 
ing the  first  sermon  on  the  last  occasion.  In  the 
meanwhile  a  gracious  revival  added  nearly  forty  pro- 
bationers. 

*  Tliis  building,  in  the  neighborhood  of  what  was  once  called 
Turtle  Baj',  an  inlet  from  the  East  River,  stood  near  First  Avenue 
not  far  from  Fifty-first  Street.  It  was  built  by  Dr.  James  Beekman 
in  1764,  and  during  tiie  Revolution  was  occupied  in  turn  by  tiie 
British  commanders  as  a  country-seat.  Here  the  unfortunate  Nathan 
Hale  was  tried  and  sentenced  to  death,  and  confined  in  the  green- 
house in  the  garden  on  the  night  before  his  execution. — Booth's  His- 
tory of  New  York,  p.  620.  An  engraving  of  it  can  be  seen  in  Valen- 
tine's Manual  of  1861,  pp.  496,  502.  S.  W.  Dunscomb,  a  local  preach- 
er, occupied  it  at  the  time,  and  to  his  labors  the  church  owes  its 
origin. 


Beekman    Hill.  353 


The  reports  and  appointments  have  been: 


YEAR. 

MEMBEKS.                     PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS.                PASTOR. 

1860 

10 

To  be  supplied.* 

1876 

157 

W.  H.  Thomas. 

i8(n 

38 

" 

1877 

133 

D.  0.  Ferris. 

1862 

123 

J.  S.  Mitcliell. 

1878 

69 

W.  P.  Corbit. 

186:$ 

142 

J.  Flov.f 

1879 

81 

To  be  supplied. 

185-t 

123 

C.  B.  Ford. 

1880 

88 

L.  R.  Streeter. 

1865 

154 

" 

1881 

100 

" 

1866 

188 

" 

1882 

92 

" 

1867 

209 

F.  Bottome. 

1883 

126 

D.  W.  Couch. 

1868 

195 

" 

1884 

137 

" 

1869 

181 

(1 

1885 

143 

" 

1870 

144 

W.  H.  Boole. 

1886 

201 

J.  Johns.:): 

1871 

129 

1887 

180 

" 

1872 

104 

W.  C.  Steele. 

1888 

210 

" 

1873 

172 

" 

1889 

290 

J.  Parker,  2d. 

1874 

195 

W.  H.  Thomas. 

1890 

285 

•' 

1875 

187 

" 

During  the  term  of  Rev.  C.  B.  Ford  the  first  par- 
sonage was  commenced,  and  during  that  of  Rev.  W. 
C.  Steele  a  new  church  was  built,  and  in  connection 
with  it  the  present  parsonage.  The  corner-stone  was 
laid  November  19,  1872,  bv  Bishop  G.  Haven,  after  ad- 
dresses by  himself  and  Rev.  John  Hall,  D.D.,  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  The  building  was  opened  April 
13,  1873,  Avith  a  sermon  by  Rev.  Thomas  Guard,  and 
dedicated  one  week  later  by  Bishop  Janes.§  The  church 
and  parsonage  cost  $46,000.  || 

Church,  $50,000.  Parsonage,  $10,000.  Debt,  $4,000. 
Salary,  $2,000.  Rent,  $1,000.  Other  collections,  $623. 
Current  expenses,  $1,581.     Sunday-school,  1,000. 

*  In  September  H.  L.  Bray,  of  East  Maine  Conference,  took  charge, 
f  Mr.  Flo_y  died  suddenly  in  October,  1863.     In  the  following  Jan- 
uary A..  H.  Mead  took  charge  until  Conference. 

X  Mr.  Jolins  died  September  25,  1888.     J.  Parker,  2d,  supplied. 

§  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xlviii,  pp.  125,  133. 

I  Presiding  elder's  report  to  New  York  East  Conference,  1874. 


354  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

CHURCHES:  THIRTY-FIFTH  STREET— PERRY  STREET— 
SIXTY-FIRST  STREET— ST.  ANDREW'S— WESLEY  CHAP- 
EL—FRANKLIN STREET— WASHINGTON  HEIGHTS. 

thirty-fifth  street.* 

{Tenth  Avenue  Mission.) 

On  October  11,  1863,  a  mission  school  was  organized 
in  a  vacant  store  on  Tenth  Avenue  near  Thirty-seventh 
Street.  In  1865  it  appears  in  the  Minutes  as  the  Tenth 
Avenue  Mission,  and  V.  Buck  is  appointed  to  the  charge, 
and  in  1866  he  reports  fifty-two  members.  It  then 
came  under  the  care  of  the  New  York  City  Mission,  in 
which  D.  L.  Marks,  A.  K.  Sanford,  J.  F.  Richmond, 
W.  E.  Ketcham,  and  A.  McLean  labored  jointly  i)r  suc- 
cessively. In  1872  A.  McLean  is  assigned  to  Thirty- 
fifth  Street,  and  in  1873  reports  one  hundred  and 
forty-seven  members.  Then,  until  1878,  it  is  again  in- 
cluded in  the  general  mission,  A.  C.  Morehouse,  W.  S. 
Bouton,  and  J.  F.  Richmond  being  the  preachers.  In 
1878  it  again  stands  alone,  and  has  so  continued  until 
the  present  time.  Its  appointments  and  statistics  have 
been  as  follows: 


YE*R.    1 

KEMBKRS 

PASTOR. 

YHAR.    ? 

tIEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

1878 



G.  W.  Terbush. 

1885 

192 

W. 

.  C.  Smith. 

1879 

162 

" 

1886 

180 

H. 

C.  Earl. 

1880 

177 

A.  Stephens. 

1887 

213 

" 

1881 

186 

" 

1888 

208 

" 

1882 

203 

li 

1889 

204 

" 

1883 

193 

W.  C.  Smitli. 

1890 

176 

A. 

K.  Sanford. 

1884 

192 

li 

*  Principally  from  reports  of  the  City  Church  Extension  and  Mis- 
■)nary  Society. 


lionary  Society, 


Thirty-fifth    Street.  355 

The  church  is  in  West  Thirty-fifth  Street,  near  Ninth 
Avenue.  It  is  25  feet  by  82,  and  of  brick.  When  it 
was  dedicated  on  October  21,  1866,  it  was  presented  to 
the  society  by  W.  W.  Cornell.     It  cost  about  $11,000. 

Church,  120,000.  No  parsonage.  No  debt.  Salary, 
$900.  Rent,  $300.  Other  collections,  $103.  Current 
•expenses,  $293.     Sunday-school,  222. 


PERRY    street.^ 

{Bank  Street.) 

On  November  1,  1863,  a  Sunday-school  was  opened  at 
693  Washington  Street,  near  Charles  Street.  This  was 
afterward  removed  to  111  and  113  Bank  Street,  on  the 
first  floor  of  a  large,  old-fashioned  building  known  in 
the  neighborhood  as  "  Noah's  Ark,"  from  the  fact  that 
it  was  once  the  country  residence  of  Mordecai  M.  Noah, 
a  celebrated  editor  of  the  city,  of  Jewish  descent.  At 
length  a  plot  of  ground,  42  by  97  feet,  in  Perry  near 
Greenwich  Street,  was  bought  for  $13,000.  On  this  a 
building  was  erected  42  by  81  feet,  with  an  end  gallery 
separable  from  the  audience-room  by  glazed  sliding- 
doors,  to  be  available  for  the  infant-class  and  other 
purposes,  and  two  class-rooms  beneath.  A  two-story 
addition  in  the  rear  also  furnished  a  room  on  each  stoiy 
16  by  20  feet.  The  front  is  of  brown  and  yellow  free- 
stone and  brick,  in  early  English  Gothic.  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  August  21,  1868,  by  Bishop  Janes,  after 
addresses  from  himself  and  Rev.  Drs.  Curry  and  Fer- 
ris.f     The  dedication  took  place  on  December  20,  1868, 

*  Priiicipall}'  from  reports  of  tlic  City  Church  Extension  and  Mis- 
sionarj'  Society. 

t  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xhii,  p.  277. 


356  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Bishoi>  Janes  preaching  in  the  morning.*  The  total 
cost,  including  the  ground,  was  about  $40,000.  Until 
this  time  the  pulpit  had  been  generally  supplied  by 
local  preachei's,  the  Rev.  S.  Merritt  having  charge.  In 
1869  its  name  iirst  appears  in  the  Minutes,  and  its  sub- 
sequent history  is  as  follows: 


YEAR.     MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

YEAE. 

MEMBER! 

PASTOR. 

186D 

S.  M.  Vernon. 

1880 

310 

J. 

M.  Burgar. 

1870 

:i46 

0.  S.  Brown. 

1881 

272 

u 

1871 

240 

" 

1882 

260 

" 

1872 

277 

'• 

1883 

246 

0. 

Haviland. 

1873 

260 

W.  H.  Kvaus. 

1884 

249 

" 

1874 

195 

11 

1885 

205 

T. 

Lodge. 

1875 

87 

"W.  Ostrander. 

1886 

222 

•' 

1876 

120 

'■ 

1887 

236 

u 

1877 

120 

To  be  supplied. f 

1888 

225 

S. 

Lowther. 

1878 

243 

'• 

1889 

269 

K 

1879 

285 

It 

1890 

248 

11 

Church,  $40,000.  No  parsonage.  No  debt.  Salary, 
$1,600.  Other  collections,  $220.  Current  expenses, 
$650.     Sunday-school,  297. 


sixty-first  strket. 

Somewliere  about  1840,  at  the  request  of  the  managers 
of  the  Colored  Orphan  Asylum,  then  in  Twelfth  Street, 
near  Sixth  Avenue,  the  Bible-class  of  the  Greene  Street 
Methodist  Episc()])al  Church  assumed  the  charge  of  the 
Sunday-school  of  the  Asylum.  Tiie  writer  was  the  first 
superintendent,  and  when,  about  twenty-three  years 
after,  he  became  pastor  of  the  Twenty-seventh  Street 
Church  he  found  the  school  in  the  care  of  some  of  the 
young  people  of  that  congregation.  During  the  draft- 
riots,  in  the  summer  of  1863,  the  building  then  occupied 

*  Ghrisliaa  Advocate,  vol.  xliii,  p.  413. 
f  S.  Merritt  supplied  these  three  years. 


Sixty-first  Street.  357 

by  tlie  institution  in  Fifth  Avenue,  between  Forty-third 
and  Forty- fourth  Streets,  was  destroyed  by  the  mob, 
and  the  children  were  temporarily  accommodated  on 
Blackwell's  Island.  Here  the  teachers  from  the  Twen- 
ty-seventh Street  Church  still  conducted  the  school,  but 
when  the  institution  was  removed  to  its  present  location 
on  Washington  Heights  the  distance  was  too  great  to 
admit  of  their  continuing  the  work.  ■  Looking  around 
for  a  field  where  they  might  be  useful,  they  concluded 
to  begin  a  school  under  the  auspices  of  the  City  Sunday- 
school  Society,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Third  Avenue 
and  Sixtieth  Street.  A  hall  over  Dingeldein's  lager- 
beer  saloon,  No.  932  Third  Avenue,  was  hired,  and 
here,  on  December  6,  1863,  the  school  was  opened.  On 
January  10,  1864,  the  writer  preached  the  first  sermon, 
on  Num.  x,  29. 

The  school  prospered,  and  two  lots  were  bought  on 
Sixty-first  Street,  between  Second  and  Third  Avenues, 
and  a  small  frame  church  was  put  up,  which  was  dedicated 
November  18,  1866.  Other  property  adjoining  was 
afterward  secured,  and  in  1873  steps  were  taken  for  a 
new  edifice.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  in  May,  1874, 
and  on  Sunday,  March  14,  1875,  the  house  was  dedi- 
cated by  Bishop  Janes,  after  a  sermon  by  Bishop  An- 
drews. The  building  is  of  Philadelphia  brick,  with 
Nova  Scotia  stone  trimmings,  and  covers  75  feet  by 
130.  The  main  audience-room  is  65  feet  by  85.  The 
chief  Sunday-school  room  is  in  the  front  of  the  second 
story,  75  feet  by  47,  and  opens  with  sliding-doors  into 
the  audience-room,  forming  an  end  gallery.  Beneath 
this,  on  the  first  floor,  are  rooms  for  the  infant  class  and 
for  prayer  and  class  meetings.  The  cost  of  building 
and  furniture  was  $69,000. 

For  several  years  the  charge  was  under  the  care  of 
the  City  ]\[ission,  Messrs.  Hollis,  Ross,  and  Piatt  being 


358  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

the  preachers.     In  1871  it  first  appears  in  the  Minutes, 
and  its  record  from  that  time  is  : 


YEAB.     MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

VEAE. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR, 

1871 



J. 

Pullman. 

1881 

268 

L. 

Parker. 

1872 



(( 

1882 

252 

" 

1873 

134 

(C 

1883 

246 

E. 

S.  Todd. 

1874 

153 

R. 

Crook. 

1884 

249 

" 

1875 

144 

" 

1885 

254 

" 

1876 

152 

" 

1886 

258 

H. 

Henderson. 

1877 

220 

J. 

E.  Cookman. 

1887 

240 

" 

1878 

256 

n 

1888 

298 

u  * 

1879 

250 

" 

1889 

323 

J. 

W.  Johnston. 

1880 

252 

L. 

Parker. 

1890 

200 

u 

Church,  $125,000,  Parsonage,  $15,000.  No  debt. 
Salary,  |2,500.  Rent,  $15,000.  Other  collections,  $890. 
Current  expenses,  $2,100.     Sunday-school,  500. 


ST.    ANDREW  S. 

(Sixty-seventh  Street — Sixty-eighth    Street  —  Bloomingddle   Mission — 
Broadway  Mission — Seventy-first  Street.) 

Rev.  J.  N.  Shaffer,  at  that  time  pastor  of  the  Forty- 
third  Street  Church,  gives  the  following  extract  from 
his  journal  under  date  of  July  16,  1852:  "This  evening 
held  meeting  at  the  house  of  Brother  Garbrant,  in  Bloom- 
ingdale.  Brother  G.  Walker,  a  local  preacher,  preached. 
After  he  closed  I  made  some  remarks,  and  appointed 
another  meeting.  There  were  some  Methodist  meet- 
ings held  in  that  vicinity  about  eight  years  ago.  We 
hope  to  see  in  a  few  years  a  flourishing  church  estab- 
lished in  that  neighborhood."  Mr.  Shaffer  organized  a 
class,  of  which  William  Ellis  was  appointed  leader. 
Three  lots  were  leased  in  Sixty-seventh  Street,  near  the 
Boulevard,  and  the  people  of  Forty-first  Stt*eet  fur- 

*  Mr.  Henderson  resigned  during  the  year.  J.  W.  Johnston  took 
charge. 


St,   Andrew's,  359 

nished  funds  for  the  buiMing.  This  cost  about  |1,000, 
and  was  dedicated  on  April  30,  1853,  after  a  sermon  by 
Rev.  James  H.  Perry,*  But  in  1857  the  property  was 
sold  under  foreclosure,  and  the  little  society  was  dis- 
solved, some  of  the  members  connecting  themselves 
with  the  new  enterprise  which  resulted  in  the  St, 
John's  Church  on  Fifty-third  Street. 

But  there  was  living  in  the  neighborhood  a  zeal- 
ous local  preacher  named  Townsend  H.  Farrington, 
Through  his  means  on  a  Wednesday  evening  in  May, 
1864,  a  little  company  of  twelve  met  in  a  small  room  in 
a  building  owned  by  Walter  Waldron,  on  Sixty-eighth 
Street,  between  the  Boulevard  and  Tenth  Avenue.  On 
September  17,  1865,  a  Sunday-school  was  opened. f  It 
was  known  at  first  as  the  Bloomingdale  Mission,  and 
then,  on  October  21,  1866,  becoming  located  at  the 
corner  of  Broadway  and  Sixty-ninth  Street,  it  was 
named  the  Broadway  Mission.  On  Sunday,  February 
2,  1868,  it  removed  to  tlie  south-west  corner  of  Sixty- 
eighth  Street  and  the  Boulevard,  where  a  building  was 
specially  fitted  up  for  the  purpose,  which  was  opened 
with  a  sermon  by  the  presiding  elder.  Rev.  W.  H. 
Ferris. J  At  length  a  suitable  site  was  secured  on  the 
north  side  of  Seventy-first  Street,  west  of  Ninth  Avenue. 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  April  26, 1881,  by  Bishop  Har- 
ris, Revs.  M.  D'C.  Crawford  and  J.  P.  Newman  assist- 
ing.§  The  dedication  took  place  June  4,  1882.  The 
lots  cost  123,000;  the  chapel  and  furniture  a  little  more 
than  $24,000.     The  building  was  38  by  90  feet.  || 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxviii,  p.  63. 

f  Report  of  City  Sunday-School  and  Missionary  Society  for  1866. 
\  Tliis  building  is  now  occupied  as  an  express  office. 
§  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  ivi,  p.  281. 

II  While  the  building  was  in  contemplation  a  little  boy  in  the  Sun- 
day-school, having  heard  soinelhiug  abuut  people  having  a  brick  in 
24 


o60  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

This  charge  being  at  Mrst  under  the  general  care  of  tlie 
City  Mission  its  name  does  not  appear  in  the  Minutes 
until  1876.     From  that  time  its  record  is  as  follows: 


1876 

W.  y.  Bouton. 

1884 

110 

J. 

N. 

Ramsey. 

1877 

60* 

1885 

102 

C. 

S. 

Harrower. 

1878 



1886 

91 

" 

1879 



To  be  supplied. f 

1887 

117 

" 

1880 

R7 

E.   B.  Lofkwood.l 

1888 

.147 

J. 

M. 

King. 

1881 

85 

C.  W.  McPlierson. 

1889 

216 

1882 

90 

J.  X.  Ramsey. 

1890 

250 

G. 

E. 

Strobridge. 

1883 

108 

" 

This  congregation  has  recently  completed  a  new  build- 
ing on  the  south  side  of  Seventy-sixth  Street,  between 
Ninth  and  Tenth  Avenues,  on  a  plot  129  feet  by  102. 
The  material  is  Indiana  limestone,  and  the  architecture 
early  Romanesque.  Church,  chapel,  and  parsonage  are 
closely  connected,  and  the  whole  is  unique  and  attract- 
ive. The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  September  14,  1889. 
by  Rev.  J.  M.  Buckley,  and  after  a  sermon  on  Sunday 
morning,  June  8,  1890,  by  Bishop  D.  A.  Goodsell,  on 
2  Sam.  xxiv,  24,  the  building  was  dedicated  by  Bishop 
Andrews. 

Church,  $200,000.  Parsonage,  $37,000.  Debt,  $90,000. 
Salar}',  $3,r00.  Rent,  $1,250.  Other  collections,  $1,161. 
Current  expenses,  $2,000.     Sunday-school,  190. 

the  church,  went  to  where  some  houses  were  in  progress  in  the 
neighborhood  and  asked  one  of  the  workmen  for  a  brick,  telling  liim 
what  lie  was  going  to  do  witli  it.  He  bore  his  prize  home  and  told 
his  mother,  and  was  not  satisfied  until  she  permitted  him  to  take  it 
to  the  school  and  give  it  to  tlie  superintendent.  His  brick  is  in  tlie 
western  wall  of  the  building  in  Seventy-first  Street. 

*  Connected  with  Grace  Church,  with  N.  0.  Lent  as  pastor. 

f  E.  B.  Lockwood  was  the  supply. 

X  On  June  11,  1880,  Mr.  Lockwood  finished  what  promised  to  be 
a  career  of  great  usefulness  in  a  collision  between  the  steamers 
Narragansett  and  Stonington,  on  Long  Island  Sound.  His  place  was 
supplied  by  C.  W.  McPherson. 


Wesley  Chapel.  361 

wesley  chapel. 

(Cannon  Street — Biviugton  Street — Tompkins  Street — Attorney  Street.) 

On  the  second  floor  of  a  building  at  the  corner  of 
Rivington  and  Cannon  Streets  a  school  was  opened 
June  18,  1865.  On  May  20,  1866,  it  was  removed  to 
313  Rivington  Street.  In  May,  1872,  it  became  liome- 
less  for  a  while,  meeting  in  a  tent,  but  in  the  fall  secured 
a  place  at  15  Tompkins  Street,  near  Broome  Street.  At 
last,  however,  a  more  permanent  habitation  was  ob- 
tained on  the  corner  of  Stanton  and  Cannon  Streets. 
But  in  1877,  the  colored  congregation  which  had  occu- 
pied the  building  87  Attorney  Street  having  been  dis- 
banded, this  society,  now  called  Wesley  Chapel,  occupied 
that  building.  During  the  earlier  period  of  its  history 
it  was  under  the  care  of  the  City  Mission,  and  its  name 
does  not  appear  in  the  Minutes  until  1873,  when  Tomp- 
kins Street  reports  a  membership  of  thirty-five,  and 
Rivington  Street  receives  R.  Roden  as  its  pastor.  Its 
sulisequent  history  is: 


YEAR.     M 

EMBERS, 

PASTOR. 

YEAR.     1 

MEMBEK8, 

PA8TOH. 

1874- 

45 

Supplied  by  R.  Ro- 

1884 

167 

J.  v.  Saunders. 

1875 

81 

''              [den. 

1885 

136 

W.  Platts. 

1876* 

93 

18S6 

131 

" 

1880 



T.  M.  Terry. 

1887 

147 

Supplied  by  G.  N. 

1881 

213 

" 

Compton. 

1882 

201 

J.  V.  Saunders. 

1888 

63 

1883 

187 

" 

In   1888  it  was  united  with  Allen  Street,  with  C.  M. 
Pegg  as  pastor. 

FRAXKLIN  STREET. 

On  November  26,  1865,  a  Sunday-school  was  opened 
at  No.  21  Worth  Street,  on  the  second  floor  of  a  dilapi- 

*  1876,   1877,    1878,   Wesley   Chapel    aii<l    Eleventli   Street,    A.    C. 
Morehouse;   1870,  Wesley  Chapel  and  Eleventh  Street,  T.  H.  Smith. 


362  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

dated  building,  of  which  the  owner  gave  the  use.*  On 
June  2,  1868,  it  was  removed  to  168  Franklin  Street,  near 
Greenwich,  and  a  church  was  organized.  Afterward  a 
house  and  lot  were  bought  at  176  Franklin  Street,  for 
$16,000,  and  more  than  $3,000  spent  for  alterations. 

The  name  first  appears  in  the  Minutes  of  1876,  in 
connection  with  other  divisions  of  the  City  Mission 
work.  In  1878  it  stands  alone,  and  is  "to  be  supplied," 
and  so  continued  until  1888,  Rev.  S.  Merritt  generally 
having  charge.  In  1888  T.  Lodge  was  appointed,  and 
in  1889  F,  Hamlin  succeeded  him,  but  in  1890  it  is 
again  "to  be  supplied." 

The  reports  of  its  membership,  as  far  as  they  can  be 
given  separately  from  those  of  other  charges,  have  been: 


YKAR. 

MEMBERS. 

YEAH. 

MEMBERS. 

YEAH. 

MEMBEES. 

YEAR.      MEMBEI 

1879 

41 

1882 

284 

1885 

HHl 

1888f 

1880 

39 

1883 

265 

1886 

372 

1889     213 

1881 

156 

1884 

318 

1887 

394 

1890     250 

The  property  is  valued  at  130,000.  No  debt.  Salary, 
$1,500.  Other  collections,  $193.  Current  expenses, 
$750.     Sunday-school,  320. 


WASHIXGTOX    heights. 

{I52d  Street.) 

The  first  effort  to  found  a  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
in  this  neighborhood  began  in  1853,  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  C.  C.  North,  John  Bellamy,  and  J.  M. 
Holland.  But  after  a  few  years  the  removal  of  several 
of  the  most  prominent  members  so  discouraged  those 
that  remained  that  on  April  1,  1867,  the  services  were 

*  Report  of  City  Church  Exteusion  Societj',  1866,  p.  14. 
f  No  distinct  report. 


Washington  Heights.  363 

suspended.      Of  this   prehistoric   period  we  get  from 
the  Minutes  of  the  Conference  the  following  items: 


YEAR. 

MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS.                      PASTOR. 

1859 



S.  C.  Perry. 

1861 

22       J.  J.  Harrison. 

I860 

17 

U.  W.  Lyon. 

1862 

19 

But  the  name  is  not  found  in  the  list  of  appointments 
for  1862,  nor  does  it  appear  in  the  Minutes  again  until 
1865,  when  we  have,  "  Riverdale  and  Washington 
Heights,  W.  H.  Smith  and  A.  L.  Culver."  In  186G, 
A.  N.  Mulnix  (properly  Molyneaux)  was  appointed.  It 
makes  no  report  in  1867,  and  is  left  to  be  supplied.  In 
the  fall  of  1867,  however,  through  the  liberality  of 
W.  W.  Cornell,  a  building  belonging  to  the  Reformed 
Dutch  Church,  in  152d  Street,  east  of  Tenth  Avenue, 
was  leased,  and  on  November  .3  regular  services  were 
begun  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  J.  D.  Blain,  of  the 
California  Conference.  In  February,  1868,  Mr,  Cornell 
bought  four  lots  on  the  corner  of  153d  Street  and 
Tenth  Avenue,  at  the  cost  of  $12,000,  $3,000  of  which 
was  a  donation  from  the  Carman  estate.  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  December  17,  1868,  by  Bishop  Janes, 
and  the  dedication  took  place  on  November  U,  1869, 
Bishop  Foster  preaching  in  the  morning  and  Bishop 
Janes  in  the  evening.  Bishop  Morris  was  also  present. 
The  building  and  furnishing  cost  rather  more  than 
$48,000,  making  a  total  of  above  $60,000,  of  which  Mr. 
Cornell  gave  in  all  $22,000.  Mr.  Rembrandt  Lock- 
.wood,  the  architect,  gave  his  services,  valued  at  $2,150. 
The  material  is  brick,  with  brown-stone  trimmings,  and 
is  55  by  85  feet,  with  a  spire  135  feet  high,  and  a  base- 
ment above  ground.  It  will  seat  about  six  hundred. 
In  March,  1874,  under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  T.  Lodge, 
a  parsonage  was  completed  on  the  south  side  of  the 
church,  at  a  cost  of  $8,500. 


364  A  History  ok  Mkthodism  in  New  York  City. 

Until  tlie  Conference  of  18G9  the  place  was  entered 
on  the  Minutes  "to  be  supplied."  From  November, 
186T,  to  November,  1868,  J.  D.  Blain  was  the  supply, 
and  W.  G,  Browning  the  rest  of  tlie  year.  For  the 
following  years  the  record  is: 


VKAH,        ^ 

ItMBtBS.                    PASTOK. 

YEAR. 

MEMBEK; 

i.                  PAST1.IK. 

1869 

40 

J.  Millard. 

1880 

82 

G.  Draper. 

1870 

80 

AV.  G.  Browning. 

1881 

107 

" 

1871 

59 

W.  M.  Heury. 

1882 

125 

" 

1872* 

48 

" 

1883 

116 

A.  Stephens. 

1873 

62 

T.  Lodge. 

1884 

102 

" 

1874 

60 

H.  H.  Birkius. 

1885 

114 

W.McK.  Darwood, 

1875 

77 

" 

1886 

153 

" 

1876 

71 

" 

1887 

208 

" 

1877 

86 

T.  Lodge. 

1888 

228 

W.  N.  Searles. 

1878 

87 

It 

1889 

2:!0 

W.  H.  Mickle. 

1879 

S5 

" 

1890 

219 

" 

Church,  $70,000.  Parsonage,  115,000.  Debt,  114,000. 
Salary,  $1,800,  Rent,  |1,000.  Other  collections,  $544. 
Current  expenses,  $840.      Sunday-school,  22 7. f 

*In  October,  1872,  Mr.  Henr}'  was  transferred  to  the  Wyoming 
Conference,  and  W.  P.  Corbit  supplied  for  the  rest  of  the  year. 

f  Mr.  E.  B.  Treat  has  been  superintendent  since  its  formation,  more 
tlian  twenty  years  ago. 


St.  Luke's.  365 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

CHURCHES:  ST.  LUKE'S— CORNELL  MEMORIAL— CHURCH 
OF  THE  SAVIOUR  — GRACE  CHURCH  — ST.  MARK'S— 
COLORED  MISSION— EIGHTY-SECOND  STREET— MADISON 
AVENUE— BETHANY— CALVARY— FIFTY-SIXTH  STREET. 

PT.   I.UKE's. 

In  1856  or  1857  the  Rev.  Hiram  Mattison,  who  had 
been  a  useful  and  respected  minister  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  established  an  Independent  Method- 
ist Society  under  tlie  name  of  the  New  Enghand  Con- 
gregational Church.  A  neat  building  was  put  >ip  on 
the  south  side  of  Forty-first  Street,  a  little  west  of 
Sixth  Avenue.  But  the  enterprise  failed,  and  the  con- 
gregation was  disbanded. 

In  October,  1868,  a  Sunday-school  was  begun  in 
Hosack  Hall,  Xo.  57  West  Forty-fourth  Street.  On 
November  12  of  the  same  year  a  meeting  was  held  at 
the  house  of  J.  B.  Cornell,  Esq.,  to  consider  the  organ- 
ization of  a  new  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  some- 
where near  Fifth  Avenue,  and  between  Fortieth  and 
Fifty-ninth  Streets.  In  the  following  April  (1869)  the 
New  England  Congregational  Church  was  bought  for 
$30,000,  and  $7,000  was  spent  forrepairsand  furnishing. 
It  was  opened  for  public  worship  on  May  9,  with  services 
conducted  by  Bishop  Janes  and  Drs.  McClintock  and 
Foster,*  and  tlie  two  last  named,  both  connected  with 
Drew  Theological  Seminary,  supplied  the  pulpit  until 
the  session  of  the  New  York  Conference  of  1870. 
The  Sunday-school,  already  mentioned,  being  called  St. 
*  Christum  Advocate,  vol.  xliv,  p.  157. 


366  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Luke's,  the  newly  organized  Church  adopted  that  title. 
From  the  Minutes  we  get  this  list  of  statistics  and 
appointments: 


TBAR. 

MEMBER 

S.                 PASTOR. 

YEAR.      MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

1870 

8G 

C.  S.  Harrovver. 

1831 

236 

M. 

D'C.  Crawfor 

1871 

138 

188-2 

199 

C. 

S.  Harrower. 

1872 

156 

" 

1883 

207 

" 

1873 

183 

J.  F.  McClelland. 

1884 

215 

u 

1874 

209 

" 

1885 

218 

A. 

D.  Vail. 

1875 

216 

W.  P.  Abbott. 

1836 

216 

" 

1876 

297 

" 

1887 

121 

E. 

S.  Tipple. 

1877 

300 

'' 

1  888 

174 

" 

1878 

266 

To  be  supplied. 

1889 

202 

" 

1879 

252 

M.  D'C.  Crawford. 

1890 

224 

" 

1880 

210 

" 

Church,  $30,000.  No  parsonage.  No  debt.  Salary, 
$2,000.  Kent,  1500.  Other  collections,  $4,071.  Current 
expenses,  $4,200.     Sunday-school,  458. 


CORNELL,    MEMORIAL. 

{Seventy-sixth  Street.) 

In  October,  1868,  a  Sunday-school  was  begun  in  a 
small  store  on  Second  Avenue,  near  Seventy-seventh 
Street.  There  also,  in  April,  1869,  the  church  was  or- 
ganized, and  shortly  after  the  services  were  removed 
to  a  frame  building  belonging  to  Mr.  Edward  Kilpat- 
rick,  on  the  corner  of  Second  Avenue  and  Seventy- 
seventh  Street.  Ground  Avas  at  last  bought  on  the 
north  side  of  Seventy-sixth  Street,  a  little  west  of  Sec- 
ond Avenue,  and  a  chapel  erected,  which  was  dedicated 
on  Sunday,  December  31,  1871,  Revs.  Thomas  Guard, 
C.  D.  Foss,  and  J.  B.  Merwin  officiating.*  This  build- 
ing is  still  occupied  by  the  Sunday-school,  but  by  the 
*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xlvii,  p.  4. 


Cornell  Memorial.  367 

side  of  it  stands  a  very  commodious  and  tasteful  edi- 
fice, called  the  "  Cornell  Memorial  Church,"  in  memory 
of  the  late  W.  W.  Cornell,  to  whose  liberality  the  con- 
gregation is  much  indebted.  This  was  dedicated  March 
25,  1883,  Bishop  Warren  preaching  on  the  occasion. 
The  cost  of  the  building  and  furniture  was  |45,600.* 
The  New  York  East  Conference  held  its  session  for  that 
year  within  its  walls.  For  several  years  the  charge 
was  under  the  general  care  of  the  New  York  City  Mis- 
sion, though  in  1871  Rev.  F.  Brown  seems  to  have  been 
especially  assigned  to  that  field.  In  1873  sve  have  its 
first  report  of  membership  and  its  first  separate  appoint- 
ment, and  the  record  from  that  time  is: 


1873 

147 

J.  S.  Haugh. 

1882 

400 

W.  W.  Bowdish, 

187-i 

180 

•' 

1883 

427 

H.  E.  Burnes. 

1875 

183 

" 

1884 

448 

" 

1876 

246 

G.  H.  Goodsell. 

1885 

476 

" 

1877 

226 

•' 

1886 

471 

J.  B.  Hamilton. 

1878 

234 

" 

1887 

446 

" 

1879 

257 

W.  McAllister,  f 

1888 

288 

D.  0.  Ferris. 

1880 

247 

W.  W.  Bowdish. 

1889 

282 

H.  W.  Byrnes. 

1881 

397 

•' 

1890 

370 

" 

Church,  $125,000.  No  parsonage.  No  debt.  Sal- 
ary, 11,600.  Rent,  $660.  Other  collections,  |579. 
Current  expenses,  82,000.  Its  Sunday-school  has  been 
remarkably  prosperous.  For  two  years  (1886-87)  it 
reported  nearly  1,650  scholars,  and  though  in  1890  it 
numbered  but  1,254  it  is  still  the  second  in  size  in  the 
Conference  and  the  largest  Methodist  Sunday-school  in 
the  city.  Much  of  its  success  is  due  to  the  labors  of 
Mrs.  Edward  Kilpatrick. 

*  Chrittian  Advocate,  vol.  Iviii,  p.  '200. 
f  Mr.  McAllister  died  January  3,  1880. 


368  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


CHURCH    OF    THE    SAVIOUR. 

(^South  Harlem — East  One- ffnndred-and- Tenth  Street — East  One-Hun- 
dred-and- Eleventh  Street — East  One-Bundred-a7id-T/driee?ith  Street 
— East  One- Hundred- and- Ninth  Street.) 

Ill  tlie  spring  of  1869,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Sec- 
ond Avenue  (now  Trinity)  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
services  were  begun  in  a  vacant  lot  near  the  corner  of 
1 1 0th  Street  and  Second  Avenue.  An  old  pear-tree 
furnished  shade,  and  a  cart  was  the  pulpit  from  which 
Rev.  W.  C.  Steele  preached  to  the  people.  On  June  6 
a  Sunday-school  was  organized,  which  met  on  Third 
Avenue,  near  109th  Street,  but  on  September  5  was  re- 
moved to  the  basement  of  a  dwelling,  229  East  112th 
Street,  occupied  by  Dr.  Cox.  More  room  being  needed, 
the  Second  Avenue  Church  leased  two  lots  on  the  west 
side  of  Second  Avenue  a  little  south  of  110th  Street, 
the  site  of  the  open-air  services  already  mentioned. 
Here  a  frame  building  was  put  up,  30  feet  by  60,  into 
which  the  school,  then  numbering  one  hundi-ed  and  seven 
scholars,  removed  October  10,  1869.  It  being  evident 
that  a  church  was  needed  in  the  neighborhood,  the 
trustees  of  the  Second  Avenue  Church  offered  the  build- 
ing to  the  New  York  City  Church  Extension  Society. 
On  October  23,  1870,  the  chapel  was  dedicated  by 
Bishop  Janes,  and  on  November  13  a  society  of  seven- 
teen members  was  organized  by  Revs.  W.  Ross  and 
W.  Platts,  city  missionaries  of  the  New  York  East 
Conference,  the  first  class-leader  being  John  W.  Lyon. 
Better  accommodations  both  for  the  school  and  con- 
gregation being  needed,  and  no  suitable  location  offer- 
ing on  the  east  of  Third  Avenue,  it  was  thought  ad- 
visable to  cross  the  line  into  the  New  York  Conference, 
and    a   site  was   selected    on    the   south   side   of    113th 


Church  of  the  Saviour.  369 

Street,  west  of  Third  Avenue,  for  which  |1 2,000  was 
paid.  At  the  Conference  of  1873  the  charge  appears 
in  tlie  Minutes  of  the  New  York  East  Conference  as 
South  Harlem,  with  a  membership  of  eighty-eight,  and 
W.  Ross  is  appointed  pastor.  In  May,  1873,  a  more 
desirable  site  came  into  the  market  on  the  south  side  of 
11 1th  Street,  west  of  Third  Avenue,  whicli  was  bought 
for  120,000,  For  nearly  a  year,  however,  the  ground 
on  113th  Street  remained  unsold,  and  finally  was  dis- 
posed of  for  811,750,  a  loss  of  $250.  In  1874  the  report 
was  one  hundi-ed  and  four  members,  and  John  L.  Gilder 
was  appointed  ])astor.  The  finances  were  at  this  time 
discouraging,  and  at  the  close  of  the  year  the  church 
found  itself  with  an  indebtedness  of  $21,000  and  a 
membership  of  but  seventy-two.  The  Minutes  left  it 
to  be  supplied,  and  Rev.  Albert  Van  Camp,  of  the  Erie 
Conference,  filled  the  vacancy.  The  society  was  re- 
organized, a  new  board  of  trustees  was  elected,  and  in 
the  early  part  of  June  the  building  at  Second  Avenue 
and  110th  Street  was  moved  to  the  111th  Street  prop- 
erty. On  June  27  the  dedication  took  place,  Rev.  John 
Miley  officiating.  No  report  of  numbers  cnn  be  found 
for  1876.  South  Harlem  disappears  from  the  Minutes 
of  the  New  York  East  Conference,  and  in  its  place  we 
liave  in  those  of  the  New  York  Conference,  "  Ulth 
Street,  George  H.  Smith."  His  term  of  three  years, 
though  one  of  financial  embarrassment,  was  spiritually 
prosperous.     The  reports  were: 


VEAR.      MEMBERS.                   PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS.              PAS! 

OR. 

1877  147     George  H.  Smith. 

1878  200 

1879  261     F.  M.  North. 

1880 
1881 

301     F.  M. 
282 

North, 

During  Mr.  North's  administration  the  present  church 
edifice  in  109th  Street  was  erected.  It  was  dedicated 
October  29,  1881,   by  Bishop  Andrews.     J.  B.   Cornell 


370  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

gave  largely  in  cash  besides  contributing  the  stained- 
glass  windows.  The  building  is  intended  as  a  chapel 
for  a  larger  edifice.  It  stands  on  the  eastern  part  of  a 
plot  118  feet  by  100.  The  land  cost  1 1 9,500,  and  the 
building  about  |25,000,  including  furnishing.  It  is  very 
comfortable  and  attractive.  It  will  be  seen  that  the 
congregation  led  for  some  years  a  migratory  existence, 
and  had  no  small  difficulties  to  overcome,  but  it  seems 
now  to  be  well  established,  with  prospects  of  great  suc- 
cess and  usefulness. 

Since  Mr.  North's  departure  its  reports  and  pastois 
have  been: 


YEIR. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS.              PASTOR, 

1882 

361     G. 

H.  Gregory. 

1887 

490     C.  Wright. 

1883* 

380     G. 

V;ni  Alstyne. 

1888 

52(5 

1881 

434 

'• 

1889 

577     J.  Y.  Bales. 

1885 

426     J. 

G.  Oakley. 

1890 

444             " 

1886 

540 

•' 

Church,  $40,000.  No  parsonage.  Debt,  $7,500.  Sal- 
ary, $1,820.  Rent,  $480.  Other  collections,  $4G1. 
Current  expenses,  $600.  Sunday-school,  1,035.  The 
school  has  been  especially  successful,  being  the  second 
Methodist  school  in  size  in  the  city,  and  the  largest  in 
the  New  York  Conference. 


GRACE    CHURCH. 

In  June,  1867,  five  lots  were  bought  on  the  north  side 
of  104th  Street,  between  Ninth  and  Tenth  Avenues,  for 
$6,000.  On  July  2,  1869,  the  first  prayer-meeting  was 
hiild  at  the  house  of  F.  B.  Utter,  M.D.,  on  the  corner 
of  107th  Street  and  Broadway,  at  which  ten  persons 
were  present.  The  same  number  also  composed  tlie 
congregation  at  the  first  sermon,  which  was  preached 

*  In  1883  the  name  was  changed  to  "  Church  of  the  Saviour." 


Grace   Church.  371 

at  the  house  of  Peter  Coe,  in  101st  Street,  near  Ninth 
Avenue.  On  April  3,  1870,  the  chapel  in  West  104th 
Street,  which  cost  %  17,000,  Avas  dedicated,  W.  H.  Ferris, 
H.  B.  Ridgaway,  and  D.  L.  jV[arks  preaching  on  tlie 
occasion. 

For  several  years  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  the 
preachers  of  the  City  Mission,  and  therefore  the  name 
is  not  found  in  the  Minutes  until  1872.  From  that  time 
its  record  is  : 


YEAR.       MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBEI 

ts. 

PASTOR. 

1872 



D.  L.  Marks. 

1882 

39 

T. 

Lodge. 

1873 

54 

R.  Wheatley. 

1883 

65 

" 

1874 

71 

" 

1884 

79 

u 

1875 

80 

" 

1885 

78 

A. 

Stepliens. 

1876 

71 

G.  N.  Pratt. 

1886 

78 

W 

.  E.  Kelchnm. 

1877* 

57 

1887 

88 

" 

1879 

W.  S.  Blake. 

1888 

99 

" 

1880 

34 

" 

1889 

99 

F. 

L.  Wilson. 

1881 

26 

C.  S.  narrower. 

1890 

196 

F. 

Hermauce. 

This  church,  though  young,  has  already  furnished 
laborers  for  the  missionary  field.  In  1874  John  E. 
Robinson  and  his  wife  and  F.  A.  Goodwin  went  out  to 
assist  Rev.  W.  Taylor  in  India. 

The  property  is  now  valued  at  $70,000.  This  in- 
cludes a  new  chapel,  very  attractive  and  commodious, 
costing  $30,000.  No  parsonage.  Debt,  $12,000.  Sal- 
ary, $1,500.  Rent,  $750.  Other  collections,  $262. 
Current  expenses,  $800.     Sunday-school,  338. 


ST.    MARK  S. 


The  first  public  services  of  this  congre<ration  were 
held  on  July  1,  1871,  in  Washington  Hall,  on  Broad- 
Avay,  between  Thirty-sixth  and  Thirty-seventh  Streets, 

*  In  1877  and  1878  it  was  united  with  Sixty-eighth  Street,  under 
the  charge  of  X.  0.  Lent. 


372  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

Rev,  W.  F.  Butler,  formerly  of  the  Zion  African  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  being  in  charge.  A  building 
on  Thirty-fifth  Street,  a  little  east  of  Sixth  Avenue,  was 
afterward  bought  for  $50,500,  and  dedicated  on  Jan- 
uary 4,  1873,  Bishop  Foster  preaching  on  the  occasion. 
Its  history  as  found  in  the  Minutes  is  : 


YEAR. 

MEMBEBS 

PASTOR. 

YEAK. 

MEMBER 

PASTOR. 

1872 



W.  F.  Butler. 

1882 

335 

W.  p.  Ryder. 

1873 

102 

" 

1883 

240 

" 

1874 

114 

" 

1884 

267 

J.  A.  Holmes 

1875 

104 

E.  W.  S.  Peck. 

1885 

257 

" 

1876 

193 

1886 

261 

" 

1877 

204 

" 

1887 

166 

H.  L.  Monroe 

1878 

219 

R.  A.  Reid. 

188S 

230 

" 

1879 

292 

1889 

307 

11 

1880 

310 

1890 

346 

" 

1881 

388 

W.  P.  Ryder. 

A  building  in  Forty-eighth  Street,  between  Sixth  nnd 
Seventh  Avenues  (I'ormerly  All  Souls  Protestant  Epis- 
copal Church),  has  recently  been  bought  by  the  City 
Church  Extension  Society,  and  was  occupied  by  the  St. 
Mark's  congregation  on  February  9,  1890.  Connected 
with  the  church  is  a  very  flourishing  lyceum  with  a 
membership  of  350,  said  to  be  the  largest  literary  associ- 
ation among  the  colored  people  of  the  city. 

Church,  $70,000.  No  parsonage.  Debt,  $26,000, 
Salary,  $1,000.  Rent,  $400.  Other  collections,  $175. 
Current  expenses,  $1,200.     Sunday-school,  270. 


COLORED    MISSION. 

{Bronme  Sired — Ridge  Street — Emanuel  Church — Attorney  Street.) 

In  July,  1867,  the  City  Mission  and  Church  Extension 
Society  opened  a  room  for  worship  for  colored  people  at 
121  Broome  Street,  near  Willett  Street.  In  1869  this 
w^as  removed  to  67   Ridge  Street,   and  again  in  May, 


Colored   Mission.  373 

1870,  to  95  Allen  Street,  where  it  took  the  name  of 
"  Emanuel  Church,"  and  reported,  in  1873,  104  members. 
Kev.  T.  Veitch  had  charge.  In  1873  or  1874  a  church 
at  87  Attorney  Street  (formerly  occupied  by  the  Prot- 
estant Methodists)  was  purchased  for  them  for  $30,000. 
Its  report  in  1874  was  125,  and  it  Avas  to  be  supplied. 
In  1875  the  number  was  120,  and  in  1876  153,  T.  A. 
Davis  being  appointed  the  preacher  both  years.  But  in 
1877  the  congregation  had  diminished  so  much  that  it 
was  disbanded,  and  the  building  was  occupied  for  a 
time  by  a  congregation  of  white  people,  which  is  now 
united  with  the  Allen  Street  society  at  the  Allen  Street 
Memorial  Church. 


EIGHTY-SECOND    STREET. 

In  the  Minutes  of  the  New  York  East  Conference  for 
1878  we  find,  "Eighty-second  Street,  to  be  supplied," 
and  it  stands  the  same  for  two  successive  years.  Its 
report  of  membership  in  1879  was  fifty,  and  it  was 
again  left  to  be  supplied,  the  supply  being  M.  J.  Ryan. 
There  is  no  report  for  1880,  and  it  is  again  "to  be  sup- 
plied," and  M.  J.  Ryan  and  Philip  Bartlett  are  named 
as  sui>plies.  Their  number  in  1881  was  50.  In  1881 
D.  Curry  was  appointed,  and  reported,  in  1882,  53. 
The  appointment  for  that  year  reads,  "  Eighty-second 
Street  and  South  Harlem,"  with  D.  Curry  as  preacher. 
In  1883  its  report  was  twenty-five  members,  and  it  is 
again  left  to  be  supplied,  but  in  1884  it  disappears  from 
the  Minutes. 


5IADISON    AVEXUE. 


The  Madison  Avenue  Church  originated  in  the  efforts 
of  several  persons,  the   most  of   whom   were  connected 


374  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

with  St.  Paul's  and  St.  Luke's  Churches,  wlio  wished  to 
provide  for  themselves  a  place  of  Avorship  in  their 
neighborhood.  On  October  16,  1881,  a  meeting  was 
held  at  the  Rev.  Dr.  Chapin's  Collegiate  School,  24  East 
Sixtieth  Street,  attended  by  about  fifty.  Rev.  M. 
S.  Terry,  the  presiding  elder,  acting  as  pastor,  re- 
ceived the  certificates  of  membership  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
W.  H.  Falconer.  On  November  1,  twenty-eight  more 
were  added,  and  a  board  of  trustees  elected.  At  the 
laying  of  the  corner-stone  on  July  31,  1882,  Bishops 
Simpson  and  Harris  officiated.  Services  were  held  for 
a  while  at  the  school-room  before  mentioned.  Rev.  J.  M. 
Buckley  acting  as  pastor,  and  the  chapel  was  opened  by 
liim  on  January  V,  1883.  On  November  11  of  the  snme 
year  worship  was  held  in  the  audience-room  for  the 
first  time,  Rev.  O.  H.  Tiffany,  the  pastor,  preaching, 
and  on  the  following  Sunday,  November  18,  the  build- 
ing was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Harris,  Bishop  Simpson 
having  preached  in  the  morning.  The  edifice  is  of 
stone,  in  the  Romanesque  style,  extending  100  feet  on 
Madison  Avenue  and  89  on  Sixtieth  Street,  with  a  spire 
128  feet  high.  The  land  and  building  cost  about 
§!250,000.*     Its  record  is  as  follows: 

YEAR.       MEMBERS,  PASTOR.  YEAR.       MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

188H  75  0.  H.  Tiffiiny.  1887  309     C.  P.  Masden. 

1884  137      "  1888  336 

1885  174      "  1889  306  E.  McChesnej'. 

1886  224  C.  P.  Masden.  1890  312 

Church,  $262,000.  Parsonage,  $35,000.  Debt,  $65,000. 
Salai-y,  |4,000.  Rent,  $2,500.  Other  collections,  $6,342. 
Current  expenses,  $4,700.     Sunday-school,  115. 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  Ivi,  p.  664;  vol.  Ivii,  pp.  8,  152,  264,  488; 
vol.  Iviii,  pp.  24,  724,  744. 


Bethany   Chapel.  815 

bethany  chapel. 

In  the  report  of  the  City  Church  Extension  Society 
for  1882  we  are  told  that  "Faith  Mission,  in  123d 
Street  and  First  Avenue,"  came  under  its  management 
in  the  preceding  February,  and  its  name  was  clianged 
to  "  Bethany  Methodist  Episcopal  Chapel."  Its 
record  is : 


YEAR. 

MEMBEE 

:s.                   PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS.                  PASTOR. 

1882 



To  be  supplied.* 

1887 

33     To  be  supplied.-)- 

1883 

21 

D.  Curiy. 

1888 

33 

1884 

18 

To  be  supplied.* 

1889 

38                 " 

1885 

24 

u 

1890 

37 

1886 

30 

" 

The  building,  which  is  in  123d  Street,  near  First 
Avenue,  is  small,  but  neat  and  comfortable,  and  the 
congregation  is  growing. 

Church,  12,000,  No  parsonage.  No  debt.  Salary, 
$400.  Other  collections,  $55.  Current  expenses,  $260. 
Sunday-school,  240. 


CALVARY. 

(  West  Harhm.) 

As  early  at  least  as  1843  preaching  services  were  held 
in  a  hired  room  on  what  is  now  the  Boulevard,  near  125th 
Street,  provided  for  by  the  contributions  of  D.  F.  Tie- 
mann,  Esq.,  (afterward  mayor  of  the  city),  and  liis  broth- 
er-in-law, Rev.  J.  C.  Tackaberry.  On  June  1, 1851,  a  small 
frame  church  was  dedicated  on  131st  Street,  near  the 
Boulevard,  capable  of  accommodating  about  two  hun- 
dred persons.     Two  lots  were  given,  and  the  building, 

*G-.  N.  Compton  supplied  iu  1882,  1884,  and  1886,  and,  perhaps, 
in  1885. 

-|-T.  B.  Smiih  supplied  iu  1887  and  the  three  succeeding  years. 
25 


370  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

costing  over  $1,400,  was  dedicated  free  of  debt,  R.  S. 
Foster,  D.D.,  officiating.*  Sometime  about  1861  this 
was  removed  to  12oth  Street,  near  Sixth  Avenue, 
where,  under  the  titles  of  West  Harlem,  Hope  Church, 
and  One-hundred-and-twenty-fifth  Street,  it  continued 
until  1881,  when  the  presiding  elder  reported  it  dis- 
banded.f  It  stood  on  leased  ground  and  the  lease  could 
not  be  renewed,  and  for  this  and  other  reasons  it  was 
thought  that  an  altogether  new  enterprise  would  be 
most  advisable.  It  was  called  at  first  Manhattanville 
Mission,  and  its  statistics  and  appointments  were: 

YBAB.      MEMBERS.  PASTOK.  YEAR.      MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

1852  —     To  be  supplied.  18.5o:|:     50     O.E.Brown. 

1853  29     R.  T.  Pearson.  1856       47     To  be  supplied. 

1854  —     O.  E.  Browu.  1857       —  " 

In  1858  no  report,  and  the  name  Manhattanville  dis- 
appears from  the  list  of  appointments.  In  1859,  how- 
ever, we  have  Washington  Heights,  which  was  the  suc- 
cessor to  Carmansville. 

About  1861  a  colony  from  the  old  Harlem  church 
(now  St.  James)  began  services  in  a  frame  building  in 
123d  Street,  near  Fifth  Avenue,  and  shortly  after 
bought  the  old  edifice  at  Manhattanville  and  removed 
it  to  125th  Street.  This  was  called  West  Harlem,  and 
its  statistics  and  appointments  were: 


YEAR.      MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBEF 

;«.                 PA-'TOR. 

1861 



To  be  supplied.g 

1867 

112 

V.  X.  Traver. 

1862 

79 

E.  B.  Otheman. 

1868 

41 

P.  Germoad. 

1863 

109 

" 

1869 

141 

u 

1864 

116 

A.  H.  Wyatt. 

1870 

147 

" 

1865 

121 

" 

1871 

118 

" 

1866 

129 

To  be  supplied. 

*  Letter  of  Rev.  C.   C.   Leigh,  and  ClLristian  Advocate,  vol.  .x.xvi, 
p.  102. 

f  Minutes  of  New  York  Conference,  presiding  elder's  report. 
X  Name  changed  to  Manhattanville  and  Carmansville. 
§  Supplied  by  G.  L.  Taylor. 


Calvary.  377 

In  1871  the  appointments  read,  "  West  Harlem,  to  be 
supplied,"  and  immediately  after,  "  Hope  Church,  N.  B. 
Thompson."  In  a  little  while  this  "Hope  Church  "be- 
came the  occupant  of  the  building  of  the  West  Harlem 
congregation,  and  its  history  was: 


MEMBEKS. 


1871  N.  B.  Thompson.  1877f  106  To  be  supplied. 

1872  74      "  1878  130  H.  W.  Bvrnes. 

1873  75      "  1879  108  L.  C.  H.  Adams. 

1874  98  J.  G.  Oakley.  1880  97 
1875*  100  "  1881  103 
1876   92  To  be  supplied. 

At  this  Conference,  as  already  stated,  it  was  dis- 
banded. It  reported  a  property  of  $1,500,  of  the  dispo- 
sition of  which  we  have  no  record. 

But  the  field  was  one  that. could  not  long  remain  un- 
occupied. In  the  fall  of  1882  the  matter  was  talked  of, 
but  no  suitable  place  of  meeting  could  be  obtained.  In 
1883,  however,  a  hall  was  erected  on  125th  Street,  near 
Eighth  Avenue.  Tliis  was  leased  for  two  years  and  a 
half,  and  on  December  23  public  services  were  held  in 
it  for  the  first  time.  Rev.  J.  R.  Day  preaching  in  the 
morning,  and  Rev.  F.  S.  Upham,  of  Drew  Theological 
Seminary,  in  the  evening.  Rev.  A.  K.  Sanford,  super- 
intendent of  the  City  Church  Extension  Society,  acted 
as  pastor  until  the  session  of  the  ensuing  Conference, 
when  Rev.  F.  Mason  North  w;is  appointed.  Under  his 
labors  the  membership  and  congregation  increased,  and 
the  need  of  a  church  edifice  became  pressing.  Ground 
was  secured  on  the  north-west  corner  of  129th  Street 
and  Seventh  Avenue  for  $40,000,  and  a  contract  made 
for  the  erection  of  a  church,  chapel,  and  parsonage  for 
875,450.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  October  14,  1886, 
Ijy  Rev.   J.  M.  Reid,  after  an   address  by  Rev.  J.   M. 

*  Name  chanp;ed  to  One-hundred-aud-twenty-fifth  Street. 
f  H.  W.  Byrnes  supplied. 


378  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Buckley,  and  on  Sunday,  October  23,  T887,  it  was 
opened  for  worship.  Rev.  Dr.  Buttz,  president  of 
Drew  Theological  Seminary,  preached  in  the  morning, 
Rev.  J.  R.  Day  in  the  evening,  and  at  10:30  P.  M.  the 
house  was  dedicated  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Reid.  The  entire 
cost  was  1146,471  80.  Of  this  $80,000  had  been  already 
raised,  and  $23,000  was  subscribed  on  that  day,  leaving 
a  debt  of  little  more  than  |40,000.  The  building  is  an 
admirable  one,  capable  of  seating  more  than  one  thou- 
sand, with  a  chapel  which  can  accommodate  a  school  of 
nine  hundred,  and  with  pleasant  church  pai-lors  and 
library  and  reading-room.  Already,  however,  the  con- 
gregation is  outgrowing  its  accommodations,  and  since 
the  Conference  of  1890  the  building  has  been  consider- 
ably enlarged.  In  June,  1889,  the  name  was  changed 
to  "  Calvary  Clmrch."  Its  reports  and  appointments 
have  been: 


YEAK.    MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

YEAR.    MEMBERS.                   PASTOR. 

1884       60 

F.  M.  North. 

1888     451     E.  S.  Osbon. 

1885     234 

" 

1889     483     J.  R.  Day. 

1886     266 

(1 

1890     633 

1887     379 

E.  S.  Osbon. 

Church,  $160,000.  Parsonage,  $20,000.  Debt,  $54,300. 
Salary,  $3,000.  Rent,  $1,500.  Other  collections,  $4,461. 
Current  expenses,  $1,240.     Sunday-school,  905. 


FIFTY-SIXTH    STREET. 


In  October,  1883,  a  Sunday-school  was  organized  in 
a  little  building  on  leased  ground  in  Fifty-sixth  Street, 
near  Tenth  Avenue,  under  the  care  of  Mr.  G.  H.  Can- 
non, but  shortly  after  Mr.  A.  G.  Newman  was  appointed 
superintendent.  In  a  httle  while  church  services  were 
begun,  those  in  the  morning  consisting  of  the  usual  ex- 


Fifty-sixth  Strket.  379 

ercises  and  the  reading  of  a  sermon  by  the  superintend- 
ent, the  evening  being  supplied  by  such  preacliers  as 
could  be  obtained.  In  1884  Rev.  Thomas  B.  Smith,  a 
supernumerary  preacher,  was  appointed  pastor,  and  in 
June  a  church  was  organized.  During  the  Conference 
year  the  building  was  enlarged  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  In 
February,  1SS7,  Mr.  A.  G.  Newman  retired  from  the 
superintendence,  and  his  son,  A.  S.  Newman,  was 
elected  in  his  place.  The  school  is  said  to  be  unusually 
orderly  and  efficient,  and  the  membership  of  the  church 
is  steadily  growing.  A  better  building  in  a  better  loca- 
tion is  needed.  When  these  are  secured  the  charge  bids 
fMir  for  great  prosperity.  From  the  Annual  Minutes 
we  get  the  following  items: 

VKAR.       MEMBtKS.  PASTOR.  YEAR.       MEMBERS.  PASTOR, 

1884 T.  B.  Smith.  1888  85  J.  W.  Sweetman. 

1885  31               "  1889  85               "f 

1886  44              "  1890  102  To  be  supplied.^ 

1887  51  To  be  supplied.* 

Church,  $2,000.  No  parsonage.  No  debt.  Salary, 
$1,200.  Other  collections,  $78.  Current  expenses,  $217. 
Sunday-school,  317. 

*  W.  II.  Leatherinan  supplied. 

f  Mr.  Sweetman  died  Marcli  6,  1890. 

X  R.  C.  Bell  supplied. 


380  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


CHAPTER   XXXn. 

THE  ANNEXED  DISTRICT. 

CHURCHES:  ST.  STEPHEN'S  — MORRISAXI A —  FORDHAM— 
TREMONT  — NORTH  NEW  YORK  — WOODLAWN— WEST 
FARMS— MOTT  AVENUE— WOODSTOCK. 

ST.  Stephen's. 

{Kingsbridge — South  Yunkers — Rivtrdale — XorlU  New  York  Mission.) 

The  name  of  Kingsbridge  appears  first  in  the  Min- 
utes of  1826,  but  at  that  time  it  represented  a  circuit, 
including  Yonkers,  East  Chester,  West  Chester,  West 
Farms,  etc.  At  least  fifty  years  ago  there  was  a  small 
church  about  25  feet  by  40.  It  did  not  become  a 
separate  charge  until  1853,  when  it  is  put  down  to  be 
supplied.  Richard  Wheatley,  then  a  young  loc.^l 
preacher  just  arrived  from  England,  was  the  supply, 
and  being  received  at  the  Conference  of  1854  he  was 
returned.  He  reported,  in  1854  38  members,  and  in 
1855,  57.  In  the  fall  of  1853  the  church  Avas  enlarged 
and  renovated,  and  a  lot  was  given  by  B.  F.  Howe  for 
a  parsonage.  At  the  re-opening  Rev.  R.  S.  Foster 
preached,  and  J.  B.  and  W.  W.  Cornell,  J.  B.  Har- 
riott, J.  W.  Kellogg,  Anthony  Civill,  and  others  from 
the  Greene  Street  Church  and  elsewhere  contributed  so 
as  to  pay  the  whole  debt. 

For  four  years  after  this  it  was  united  with  Fordham, 
but  in  1859  it  again  stands  alone  with  R.  H.  Kelley 
as  pastor.  In  1860,  the  name  was  changed  to  South 
Yonkers,  and  in  1864  to  Riverdale,  in  1873  to  Kings- 
bridge,  in  1874  to  North  New  York  Mission,  and  in  1876 
to  St.  Stephen's.  Its  appointments  and  reports  have  been: 


St.  Stephen's.  881 


YEAR.      MEMBER! 

S.                  PASTOR. 

YEAR.      1 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

1859 

— 

R.  H.  Kellev. 

1875 

38 

D.    W.     0.    Van 

1860 

92 

(1 

Gaasbeck. 

1861 

73 

W.  G.  Browning. 

187611 

33 

u 

1862 

64 

J.  G.  Shrive. 

1879 

— 

To  be  supplied.lT 

1863 

43 

" 

1880**  66 

11 

1864 

40 

W.  H.  Smith. 

1881 

No  re- 

u 

1865* 

56 

" 

porl 

t. 

1866 

79t 

A.     Ostrandei-. 

1882 

" 

S.  Lowther. 

1867 

56 

" 

1883 

45 

R.  H.  Kelley. 

1868 

51 

A.  C.  Gallahue. 

1884 

51 

I.  H.  Lent. 

1869 

51 

W.  M.  Henry. 

1885 

55 

" 

1870 

43 

L.  B.  Andrus. 

1886 

39 

" 

1871 

40 

R.  Tarltou. 

1887 

43 

N.  B.  Thompson. 

1872 

43 

C.  F.  Wixen. 

1888 

6o 

u 

1873t 

41 

J.  Croft. 

1889 

122 

" 

1874i5 

36 

D.      W.     C.     Van 
Gaasbeck. 

1890 

121 

" 

The  corner-stone  of  the  present  building  was  laid  in 
December,  1875,  by  Bishop  Janes.  It  was  dedicated 
May  14,  1876,  by  Rev.  A.  M.  Osbon.  The  total  cost  of 
ground,  building,  and  furniture  was  |10,000. 

Church,  111,000.  No  parsonage.  Debt,  |2,500. 
Salary,  $1,000.  Rent,  |.300.  Other  collections,  $108. 
Current  expenses,  $496.     Sunday-school,  144. 


MORRISANIA, 

( Centenary.) 

Somewhere  about  1850  a  frame  cliurch  about  75  feet 
by  35  or  40  was  erected  on   the  west   side  of  Fordham 

*  United  with  ■Washinp;ton  Heights, 
f  Tliis  includes  Washington  Heights. 
X  Name  changed  to  Kingsbridge. 
§  Name  changed  to  Nortii  New  York  Mission. 
II  St.  Stephen's  and  Woodlawn,  and  in  1877-78  with  Fordham  also, 
A.  Coons  pastor,  but  in  1879  St.  Stephen's  becomes  independent. 
Tf  D.  Tasker  supplied. 
**S.  Lowther  supplied,  and  also  in  1S81. 


.382  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

(now  Third)  Avenue,  about  100  feet  north  of  168th 
Street.  This  was  sold  in  1866,  when  the  present  church 
was  erected  on  the  corner  of  Washington  Avenue  and 
East  166th  Street,  at  the  cost  of  850,000.  The  material 
was  concrete  or  artificial  stone,  and  some  of  this  that 
was  used  in  the  tower  appears  to  have  been  not  prop- 
erly prepared  or  not  sufficiently  hardened,  and  soon 
after  its  erection  the  tower  fell.  About  |;  10,000  was 
needed  to  repair  damages,  and,  as  a  result,  the  church 
had  to  ask  aid  from  the  City  Church  Extension  So- 
ciety. The  appointments  and  reports  have  been  as 
follows  : 


VKAR. 

MEMEERf 

!.                    PASTOR. 

VEAE.      1 

Mii.MBEKS 

l-ASTOR. 

1850 



C.  C.  Keys. 

1871 

128 

T.  B.  Smitli. 

1851 

51 

" 

1872 

123 

" 

1852 

80 

G.  Coles. 

1873 

127 

" 

1853 

80 

T.  F.  R.  Mereein. 

1874 

130 

J.  P.  Swift. 

1854- 

150 

A.  C.  Foss. 

1875 

121 

" 

1855* 

142 

" 

1876 

143 

" 

1856 

110 

W.  C.  Smith. 

1877 

136 

D.  W.  C.  Vau  Gaas- 

1857 

164f 

0.  E.  Brown. 

beck. 

1858 

120 

D.  0.  Ferris. 

1878 

137 

" 

1859 

91 

E.  B.  Shurter. 

1879 

113 

" 

1800 

76 

J.  W.  Miicombcr. 

1880 

123 

R.  H.  Kellev. 

1861 

97 

" 

1881 

127 

" 

1862 

54 

To  he  supplied. 

1882 

117 

" 

1863 

96 

A.  C.  Gallahue.      . 

1883 

137 

S.  Lowther. 

1864 

90 

" 

1884 

187 

" 

1865 

84 

A.  C.  Fields. 

1885 

179 

J.  Rowe. 

1866 

105 

" 

1886 

172 

" 

1867 

99 

u 

1887 

198 

" 

1868 

128 

T.  Lodge. 

1888 

204 

C.  W.  Millard. 

1869 

120 

(( 

1889 

269 

" 

1870 

123 

" 

1890 

270 

" 

Church,  140,000.  Parsonage,  $10,000.  Debt,  1 13,000. 
Salary,  $1,500.  Rent,  $700.  Other  collections,  $429. 
Current  expenses,  $900.     Sunday-school,  359. 

*  The  appointment  reads,  "  Morrisaniaand  Upper  Morrisania ;  "  this 
last  became  Treniont. 
f  Including  Tremont. 


FORDHAM. 


383 


FORDHAM. 

The  name  of  FordliMm  ai)pears  in  the  Minutes  for  the 
first  time  in  1854,  when  Thomas  Bainbridge  was  ap- 
pointed there  as  supernumerary.  He  reported  seven 
members  in  1855.  From  that  time,  however,  it  stands 
connected  with  Kingsbridge  or  Tremont,  or  is  left  to  be 
supplied  until  1863.     Thenceforward  its  record  is: 


YEAR.      MEMBEES.                  PASTOR. 

YEAR.      K 

lEMBERS 

:.                 PASTOR. 

1863 

— 

N.  Hubbell. 

1877t 

54 

A.  Coons. 

1864 

33 

A.  P.  Lyon. 

1879 

— 

W.  G.  Browning. 

1865 

32 

" 

1880 

51 

To  be  supplied. 

1866 

40 

" 

1881 

53 

T.  B.  Smith,  sup. 

186*7 

34 

To  be  supplied. 

1882 

49 

" 

1868 

34 

J.  C.  Washbura. 

1883 

34 

T.  S.  Bond. 

1869 

17 

" 

1884 

35 

" 

1870* 

23 

W.  M.  Henry. 

1885 

34 

" 

1871 

22 

To  be  supplied. 

1886 

32 

S.  H.  Scott. 

1872 

18 

D.  E.  Wliite. 

1887 

53 

" 

1873 

12 

To  be  supplied. 

1888 

51 

To  be  supplied.:!: 

1874 

17 

" 

1889 

50 

F.  Bottonie. 

1875 

19 

" 

1890 

76 

" 

1876 

19 

A.  Coons. 

The  church,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  was  built 
before  1862,  and  is  a  neat  and  comfortable  frame  house. 

Church,  $6,000.  No  parsonage.  No  debt.  Salary, 
$1,200.  Other  collections,  $82.  Current  expenses,  $234, 
Sunday-school,  100. 


TREMONT. 

[Upper  Morrisania.) 

Somewhere  about  1855  a  few  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  at  Morrisania  proceeded  to 
organize  the  congregation  now  known  as  that  of  Tre- 

*  United  with  Highbridgeville. 

flu  1877  and  1878  it  was  united  willi  St.  Steplien's  and  Wood- 
lawn,  with  A.  Coons  as  preacher.  %  F.  Bottonie  supplied. 


384  A  Hi'STORY  OF  Methodism  in  New  York  City, 

moiit.  Tliey  occupied  for  a  while  "  a  little  meeting- 
house by  the  way -side,"  but  in  1885  a  new  and  better 
location  was  secured  on  the  corner  of  Washington  Ave- 
nue and  East  178th  Street,  110  by  108  feet.  Plans 
and  specifications  were  prepared,  but  the  builder's  esti- 
mate of  the  cost  exceeded  that  of  the  architect  by 
about  110,000,  and  the  enterprise  was  necessarily  de- 
layed.* On  September  16,  1886,  however,  the  corner- 
stone was  laid  by  the  presiding  elder.  Rev.  G.  II.  Greg- 
ory, after  addresses  by  Revs.  J,  M.  King  and  D.  W. 
Couch. f  The  cha})el  was  opened  on  March  20,  1887, 
with  a  sermon  by  the  pastor,  Rev.  P.  Gerraond,J  and 
on  June  26  the  audience-room  was  dedicated  by 
the  presiding  elder.  Rev.  A.  J.  Palmer,  after  a  sermon 
by  Rev.  A.  S.  Hunt.§  It  is  a  brick  building,  very 
much  after  the  model  of  that  erected  a  little  while  be- 
fore at  Mount  Vernon,  and  will  seat  five  hundred  per- 
sons, and  the  lecture-room  and  its  class-rooms,  which 
are  so  arranged  as  to  communicate  with  the  audience- 
room,  will  accommodate  about  five  hundred  more.  The 
land  cost  $4,000,  and  the  building  about  |30,000.  || 

Originally  it  was  connected  Avith  Morrisania,  but  in 
the  Minutes  of  1857  the  name  first  appears.  Its  rec- 
ord is: 


VEAE.      MEMBERS.                  PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS 

PASTOR, 

1857       —     S.  C.  Perry. 

1865 

100 

J.  W.  Ackerly. 

1858       82 

1866 

95 

" 

1859T[    80 

1867 

77 

" 

1862     Y.  Buck. 

1868 

102 

N.  B.  Tliomp.soti. 

ISfiS     111     A.  C.  Field. 

1869 

134 

" 

1864     100 

1870 

166 

" 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  Ix,  p.  716.  \  Ihid.,  vol.  Ixi,  p.  622. 

\  Ibid.,  vol.  Ixii,  p.  173.  §  Ibid.,  vol.  Ixii,  p.  43G. 

II  Ibid.,  vol.  Ixi,  p.  558. 

^  In  1859  and  1860  it  was  united  with  Fordham,  imder  the  care 
of  J.  A.  Sellick.  and  in  1S61  with  V.  Buck  as  preacher. 


1  REMOXT. 

3 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS.                  PASTOR. 

1871 

163 

P. 

R.  Brown. 

1881 

212 

F.  Bottome. 

1872 

150 

" 

1882 

166 

N.  B.  Thompson. 

1873 

131 

A. 

M.  Osbon. 

1883 

169 

" 

1874 

127 

T. 

B.  Smith. 

1884 

174 

P.  Germond. 

1875 

126 

T. 

Lamont. 

1885 

251 

" 

1876 

130 

D. 

L.  Marks. 

1886 

242 

" 

1877 

131 

" 

1887 

243 

To  be  supplied.* 

1878 

127 

" 

1888 

246 

J.  Y.  Bates. 

1879 
1880 

182 
190 

F. 

Bottome. 

1889 
1890 

255 
294 

C.  Wright. 

385 


Church,  $35,000.  No  parsonage.  Debt,  |8,500. 
Salar}^,  |2,000.  Rent,  $400.  Other  collections,  $304. 
Current  expenses,  $1,000.     Sunday-school,  297. 


NORTH    NEW    YORK. 

In  1865  three  members  of  St,  James  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  residing  in  Mott  Haven,  Brothers  Adam 
Barton  and  John  Archibald,  and  Sister  Frances  P. 
Wilson,  established  a  prayer-meeting.  The  first  meet- 
ing Avas  held  at  the  house  of  Mrs.  Wilson  on  July  5, 
and  was  followed  by  others  of  increasing  interest. 
Sliorth'  after  it  was  proposed  to  hold  services  in 
the  open  air  on  what  was  called  "the  green,"  at  the 
junction  of  Garden  and  Main  Streets  (143d  and  144th 
Streets).  The  first  appointment  was  made  for  August 
G,  but,  the  weather  being  unfavorable,  nothing  was 
done  until  the  following  Lord's  day,  when  Rev.  J.  H. 
Baker,  a  local  preacher,  conducted  the  services.  These 
were  kept  up  during  the  warm  weather,  and  early  in 
the  fall  a  society  was  oi-ganized  by  Rev.  A.  H.  Mead, 
of  the  Second  Avenue  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
J.  ir.  Baker  was  appointed  leader,  A  dwelling  was 
hired  on  144th  Street,  east  of  Third  Avenue,  where  a 
Sunday-school  was  held  and  regular  preaching  main- 
tained every  Sunday  afternoon. 

*R.  M.  Stralton  supplied  for  a  time,  and  tlien  J.  Y.  Bates. 


386  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Before  the  society  was  organized  Mr.  Willis  oftered 
to  give  two  lots  and  a  sum  of  money  for  the  erection 
of  a  church.  Some  delay  took  place,  but  finally  the 
oft'er  was  accepted,  and  two  lots  on  the  corner  of  Willis 
Avenue  and  141st  Street  were  selected,  and  a  third 
was  afterward  purchased.  Mr.  W^illis  also  added  a 
donation  of  $250. 

At  the  Conference  of  1866  Rev.  William  H.  Bangs 
was  appointed  to  the  charge,  and  steps  were  taken  to 
erect  a  chapel  capable  of  accommodating  two  hundred 
persons.  This  was  dedicated  on  Sunday,  September 
11,  1866.  On  Thursday,  July  9,  1868,  the  corner-stone 
of  the  church  was  laid  by  Rev.  H.  F.  Pease,  the  pre- 
siding elder,*  and  on  September  1  the  building  was 
dedicated  by  Rev.  W.  L.  Harris  (afterward  bishop). 
The  building  was  44  feet  by  67,  and  cost  in  all  |14,000.t 
In  1873  a  parsonage  was  built  on  Willis  Avenue,  ad- 
joining the  church. 

The  Minutes  furnish  these  items: 


YEAR. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBER.^!. 

PASTOR. 

1866 



W 

.  H.  Bangs. 

1879 

197 

G. 

Stillman. 

1867 

66 

u 

1880 

222 

" 

1868 

83 

11 

1881 

210 

T. 

N.  Laine. 

1869 

80 

L. 

p.  Perry. 

1882 

316 

" 

1870 

118 

" 

1883 

351 

" 

1871 

115 

" 

1884 

368 

M. 

Y.  Bovard. 

1872 

122 

J. 

L.  Hall. 

1885 

381 

11 

187B 

149 

" 

1886 

394 

R. 

W.  Jones. 

1874 

174 

" 

1887 

423 

" 

1875 

144 

C. 

B.  Ford. 

1888 

366 

" 

1876 

123 

" 

1889 

414 

J. 

Baird. 

1877 

134 

" 

1890 

423 

" 

1878 

193 

G. 

Stillman. 

Church,  120,000.  Parsonage,  $6,000.  Debt,  $1,350. 
Salary,  $1,600.  Rent,  $500.  Other  collections,  $348. 
Current  expenses,  $850.     Sunday-school,  597. 

^Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xHli,  p.  229.  f  Ibid.,  vol.  xliii.  p.  281. 


WOODLAWN.  387 


WOODLAWN. 

In  July,  1874,  Rev.  D.  W.  C.  Van  Gaasbeck,  the 
preacher  on  the  North  New  York  Mission  of  tlie  New- 
York  Conference,  began  services  at  Woodlawn  in  a 
tent  loaned  by  J.  M,  Cornell.  In  the  following  win- 
ter the  house  of  Mr.  Peter  Curry  became  the  place 
of  meeting.  At  length  E.  W,  Willard,  Esq.,  gave  four 
lots,  on  which  a  chapel  was  erected  and  dedicated,  free 
of  debt,  by  Bishop  Janes  on  April  16,  1876.  The  lots 
w^ere  valued  at  $1,100,  and  the  building  cost  about 
$3,000.* 

For  several  years  this  church  was  associated  with  St. 
Stephen's  and  Fordhara,  but  in  1879  it  became  a  sepa- 
rate charge.     Since  then  its  appointments  have  been: 

YEAR.      MKMBEES.  PASTOR.  YEAR.    .VEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

1879  —  To  be  supplied.  1885  68  W.  D.  Fero. 

1880  43  "  1886  66  " 

1881  28  T.  Lodge.  1887  66  De  Los  Lull. 

1882  34  J.  0.  Kern.  1888  48  J.  M.  Burgar. 

1883  40      "  1889  51      " 

1884  38      "  1890  60 

Church,  13,000.  Parsonage,  $3,000.  Debt,  $745. 
Salary,  $900.  Rent,  $300.  Other  collections,  $49. 
Current  expenses,  $125.     Sunday-school,  64. 


WEST     FARMS,  f 

Among  tlie  writer's  earliest  recollections  is  that  of 
attending  Methodist  preaching  in  the  village  of  West 
Farms  in  a  room  in  a  private  house.     Though  quite  a 

*  See  reports  of  City  Sunday-school  and  Church  Extension  Society. 

f  In  the  Minutes  of  the  New  York  city  preachers'  meeting  of  July 
16,  1825,  we  read  :  "  Resolved,  That  the  superintendent  of  tliis  station 
address  a  letter  to  the  preachers  in  New  Roclielle  Circuit  in  reference 
to  forming  a  class  in  West  Farms  and  West  Chester,  and  that  he  lay 


388  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

village,  the  only  church  edifice  was  one  belonging  to 
tlie  Presbyterians,  which  stood  a  little  out  of  the  center 
of  the  place.  At  least  fifty-five  years  ago,  however,  a 
small  building  was  put  up  by  the  Methodists,  but  the 
congregation  was  not  large.  It  was  originally  con- 
nected with  the  New  Rochelle  Circuit,  afterward  M'ith 
Kingsbridge,  and  at  length  became  associated  with 
Westchester  and  Bronxville.  In  1860  the  building  was 
improved  at  a  cost  of  $2,000.  By  the  annexation  of 
the  district  north  of  the  Harlem  River  it  has  been 
brought  within  the  city,  and  in  1882  it  is  included  for 
the  first  time  in  the  list  of  New  York  appointments, 
being  left  to  be  supplied.  In  the  following  October 
Rev.  G.  C.  Spencer,  a  local  preacher  of  the  city,  took 
charge  of  the  society,  and  when  received  as  a  proba- 
tioner in  the  Conference  in  the  following  spring  he  was 
appointed  to  the  place,  and  also  for  the  years  1884-85. 
In  1886  E.  O.  Tree  succeeded  him  until  1890,  when  R. 
I.  B.  Illman  was  appointed.  Mr.  Spencer  gave  his 
services  without  a  salary,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  see- 
ing the  beginning  of  what  it  is  hoped  will  be  perma- 
nent and  increasing  prosperity.  The  reports  of  mem- 
bership have  been: 


1890       54 


the  result  before  the  preachers'  meeting."  At  the  meeting  of  Julj^  27 
a  letter  was  read  from  Rev.  S.  Martindale,  of  New  Rochelle  Circuit, 
"  stating  that  it  was  out  of  their  power  to  do  any  thing  for  "West 
Farms  or  to  preacii  anywhere  in  that  country  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
that  if  we  can  do  any  thing  for  them  it  will  be  well ;  therefore,  Re- 
solved, That  the  superintendent,  either  in  person  or  by  some  one  he 
may  think  proper  to  appoint,  proceed  'to  organize  a  class  in  "West 
Farms  and  "West  Chester.'  "  No  further  notice  of  action  is  found,  but 
no  doubt  it  was  taken,  as  the  writer  remembers  being  present  at  a 
quarterly  meeting  at  "West  Chester  a  few  years  after. 


YEAB. 

MEMBEKS. 

YEAR. 

MEMBEBS. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS. 

1884 

28 

1886 

39 

1888 

60 

1885 

27 

1887 

47 

1889 

78 

West   Farms.  "  389 

The  church  is  on  Tremont  Avenue,  and  is  valued  at 
$3,500.  No  parsonage  and  no  debt.  Salary,  $800. 
Otlier  collections,  $88.  Current  expenses,  llOO.  Sun- 
day-school, 150. 


MOTT    AVENUE. 

In  June,  1882,  Rev.  A.  N.  Molyneaux,  a  superan- 
nuated member  of  the  New  York  Conference,  liaving 
lately  moved  into  the  neighborhood,  began  a  prayer- 
meeting  at  his  house  on  Mott  Avenue. 

Henry  Lewis  Morris,  Esq.,  sold  to  the  church  a  plot 
valued  then  at  $8,000  for  |4,000.  It  is  on  the  corner  of 
Mott  Avenue  and  East  150th  Street,  a  little  more  than  one 
hundred  feet  square.  A  chapel  has  been  built  fronting 
150th  Street,  capable  of  seating  a  congregation  of  more 
than  two  hundred,  and  containing  a  study  for  the  pas- 
tor and  class-rooms.  It  cost  $13,000,  of  which  the  late 
J.  B.  Cornell,  Esq.,  gave  $3,000.  It  was  opened  on 
February  13,  1887,  with  a  prayer-meeting  at  8:15  A.  M., 
after  which  Rev.  G.  H.  Gregory,  presiding  elder  of  the 
district,  preached  on  John  xvi,  7,  and  Rev.  J.  S.  Whe- 
don  in  the  evening  on  Zech.  xiv,  9,  and  the  building 
was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Harris,  this  being  the  last 
occasion  on  which  he  performed  such  a  service.  There 
is  space  on  the  corner  for  a  church  fronting  on  Mott 
Avenue.* 

The  statistics  and  appointments  have  been: 


YKAB. 

MEMBERS,                    PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS.                  PASTOR. 

1885 

D.  L.  Marks. 

1888 

78     W.  F.  Anderson. 

1886 

To  be  supplied. 

1889 

100 

1887 

45     W.  F.  Anderson. 

1890 

115     R.  E.  Wilson. 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  Ixii,  p.  173,  and  letter  from  Rev.  W.  F. 
Anderson. 


390  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  Yop.k  City. 

Chui-ch,  126,000.  No  parsonage.  No  debt.  Salary, 
|1,400.  Other  collections,  |219.  Current  expenses, 
|575.     Sunday-school,  200. 


WOODSTOCK. 


This  youngest  sister  of  the  household  of  New  York 
city  Methodism  was  born  just  in  time  to  have  a  place 
in  this  family  record.  On  October  13,  1889,  services 
were  begun  by  Rev.  Joseph  F.  Jones  in  a  dwelling- 
house  on  161st  Street,  a  little  east  of  Third  Avenue,  and 
a  Sunday-school  organized.  At  the  Conference  of  1890 
it  is  set  down  "to  be  supplied."  The  supply  was  R. 
Pierce.'  A  chapel  is  in  j^rogress  at  the  corner  of  161st 
Street  and  Prospect  Avenue.  The  audience-room  will 
seat  about  three  hundred,  and  when  necessary  two  class- 
rooms and  an  infant-class  room  can  be  thrown  open  to 
furnish  additional  accommodation.  One  hundred  years 
hence,  or  less,  some  future  historian  may  be  able  to  give 
an  interesting  record  of  this  charge. 


Germax.  391 


CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

NON-ENGLISH  SPEAKING  CHURCHES, 

GERMAN:  SECOND  STREET —  F0RTIP:TH  STRKKT— 158TH 
STREKT  — FIFTY-FIFTH  STREET— 114TH  STREET— PORT 
MISSION— BLINN"  MEMORIAL.  MISCELLANEOUS:  SWED- 
ISH—FRENCH— WELSH— ITALIAN— CHINESE. 

GERMAN. 

{Second  Street.) 

The  first  German  Methodist  Episcopal  Churcli  in 
New  York  city  began  its  services  in  1841  in  a  hired 
room  on  the  corner  of  Essex  and  Stanton  Streets.  On. 
April  5,  1842,  a  board  of  trustees  was  elected,  and  an  act 
of  incorporation  was  obtained  on  April  9.  About  the 
last  of  August  land  was  bought  on  Second  Street,  near 
Avenue  C,  for  $4,800,  and  the  corner-stone  of  the  church 
building  was  laid  Monday,  November  7,  by  the  venerable 
Henry  Boehm.  Rev.  J.  C.  Lyon,  the  pastor,  preached 
on  the  occasion  on  Eph.  ii,  20,  21,  and  Rev.  J.  Sewell 
gave  an  address  in  English.*  The  churcli  was  dedicated 
May  4,  1843,  Bishop  Morris  preaching  in  English  on  Tit. 
ii,  14,  and  Rev.  J.  C.  Lyon  in  German.  Bisl.op  Hedding 
was  also  present.f     The  building  is  44  feet  by  70. 

The  Annual  Minutes  of  the  New  York  Conference  for 
1842  contain  the  first  official  notice  of  this  charge,  and 
there  we  read,  "Harlem  German  Mission,  seventy-one 
members."  J     From  that  time  the  reports  read  : 

YEAR.     MEMBERS.  PASTOR.  YEAR.     .MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

1842       71     J.  C.   LvoQ  and  C.        1843     130     J.  C.  Lvon. 

H.  Doering.  §  1844     122     J.  C.  Lyon,  sup. 

*  Gliristian  Advocate,  vol.  xvii,  pp.  47,  55.  f  Ibid.,  pp.  147,  154. 

^  The  inlrodtiction  of  the  name  Harlem  is  an  error. 
§  Mr.  Doering  supplied  during  the  preceding  year. 
2G 


392  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


VEAE. 

MEMBERS 

i,            Pastor. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS 

PASTOR, 

1845 

184 

J.  C.  Lj-on,  sup. 

1868 

295 

C. 

Blinu. 

1846 

135 

A.  Miller. 

1869 

306 

C. 

F.  Grimm. 

1847 

164 

" 

1870 

266 

" 

1848 

160 

C.  H.  Doeriug. 

1871 

190 

" 

1849 

160 

tt 

1872 

210 

J. 

C.  Deininger. 

1850 

175 

To  be  supplied.* 

1873 

200 

" 

1851 

220 

C.  Jost. 

1874 

210 

" 

1852 

219 

W.  Schwartz. 

1875 

233 

C. 

Jost. 

1853 

260 

" 

1876 

215 

" 

1854 

251 

C.  F.  Grimm. 

1877 

208 

" 

1855 

227 

J.  C.  Lyou. 

1878 

210 

J. 

W.  Freund. 

1856 

160 

"" 

1879 

211 

" 

1867 

156 

C.  A.  E.  Hertel. 

1880 

218 

" 

1858 

173 

S.  r.  Zimmerman. 

1881 

230 

L. 

Wallon. 

1859 

197 

" 

1882 

220 

" 

1860 

205 

C.  Jost. 

1883 

235 

" 

1861 

253 

" 

1884 

227 

H. 

,  Kastendieck. 

1862 

235 

C.  H.  Afflei-bach. 

1885 

217 

" 

1863 

247 

" 

1886 

213 

" 

1864 

247 1 

F.  W.  Dinger. 

1887 

200 

P. 

Quattlander. 

1865 

248 

" 

1888 

198 

" 

1866 

272 

" 

1889 

214 

'< 

1867 

316 

C.  Blinn. 

1890 

216 

" 

This  is  the  mother-church  of  the  German  work  in 
New  York  city  and  its  vicinity.  It  has  enjoyed  many 
revivals,  has  furnished  some  useful  ministers,  and,  like 
all  our  German  churches,  is  noted  for  its  liberality. 

Church,  $35,000.  Parsonage,  $5,000.  Debt,  |5,000.J 
Total  salary,  $1,600.  §  Other  collections,  |1,412.  Cur- 
rent expenses,  $720.     Sunday-school,  240. 


GERMAN. 
{Thirty -sixth  Street — Fortieth  St)-eel — Bloomingdale.) 
The  Second  German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 
New  York  city  originated  in  a  mission  sustained  by  the 
Ladies'  Home  Missionary  Society.  In  1843  a  Sunday- 
school  was  opened  and  preaching  begun  in  the  oj^en 
air,    near   Eighth    Avenue    and   Thirty-eighth   Street, 

*C.  Jost  supplied.  f  147  in  the  printed  minutes. 

J  This  was  on  their  cemetery,  and  has  been  paid. 

§  Tliis  sum,  in  the  case  of  all  the  German  churches,  includes  rent. 


German.  393 

by  Rev.  Mr.  Hartmann.  In  1845  Rev.  Jacob  Graw 
preached  in  Temperance  Hall,  on  Eighth  Avenue,  near 
Forty-second  Street,  and  durino-  tlie  summer  in  a  shanty 
on  the  cemetery  ground  in  Forty-fourth  Street,  near 
Eighth  Avenue.  In  1849,  when  Rev.  W.  Schwartz  was 
pastor,  an  old  frame  chapel  and  one  lot  were  bought 
for  81,050  on  Thirty-sixth  Street,  near  Ninth  Avenue. 
This  lot  was  afterward  exchanged  for  two  lots  on 
Fortieth  Street,  near  Ninth  Avenue,  and  the  chapel 
was  removed  to  the  rear  of  these  lots.  In  1864,  under 
the  administration  of  Rev.  C.  Bliini,  the  present  church 
edifice  was  erected,  and  was  dedicated  by  Bishop 
Janes  on  the  first  Sunday  of  1866,  and  the  old  chapel 
was  altered  into  dwellings.  These  were  destroyed  by 
fire  in  1884,  and  then  an  extension  to  the  Sunday-school 
room  was  built,  and  al^o  several  dwellings  above  it, 
which  proved  a  profitable  investment.  The  church  is 
of  brick,  42  by  68  feet,  and  cost  112,000,  besides  the  lots, 
which  cost  about  $4,000.  While  Mr.  Blinn  was  with 
them  a  parsonage  was  bought  for  $5,100. 

From  the  Annual  Minutes  we  have  these  items : 


VEAR. 

MEMBER 

S.                  PASTOR. 

YEAR.      1 

aEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

1846 



J.  J.  Graw. 

1859 

51 

J. 

C.  Deininger. 

1847 

31 

" 

1860 

82 

F. 

W.  Dinger. 

1848 

35 

W.  Schwarts. 

1861 

108 

« 

1849 



" 

1862 

144 

C. 

Jost. 

1850 

100 

C.  F.  Grimm. 

1863* 

135 

" 

1851 

98 

" 

1864 

150 

C. 

Blinn. 

1852 

74 

C.  H.  Afflerbach. 

1865 

163 

" 

1853 

84 

F.  G.  Gratz. 

1866 

168 

" 

1854 

66 

J.  Week. 

1867 

148 

L. 

Wallon. 

1855 

74 

To  be  supplied. 

1868 

155 

" 

1856 

64 

J.  Kindler. 

1869 

137 

a 

1857 

50 

J.  C.  Lyon. 

1870 

129 

H. 

Kastendieck. 

1858 

60 

J.  G.  Deininger. 

1871 

144 

" 

*  In  1863  Melro.se  was  united  with  Fortieth  Street,  and  so  con- 
tinued for  four  years.  The  members  reported  at  the  close  of  each  of 
these  years,  therefore,  inchide  both  charges. 


894  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


YEAR. 

MKMBEE 

s. 

PASTOR. 

1872 

130 

G. 

Abele. 

1873 

132 

" 

1874 

134 

" 

1875 

137 

C. 

F.  Grimm. 

1876 

127 

" 

18*77 

125 

" 

1878 

120 

J. 

Kolb. 

1879 

103 

(1 

1880 

110 

11 

1881 

101 

P. 

Quattland 

YKAB. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

1882 

130 

P. 

Qiiattlander. 

1883 

162 

" 

1884 

165 

J. 

C.  Deiiiinger. 

1885 

177 

" 

1886 

172 

" 

1887 

168 

P. 

Haendiges. 

1888 

147 

11 

1889 

157 

" 

1890 

152 

H. 

Kastendieck. 

Churcli,  $35,000.  Parsonage,  -18,000.  Debt,  $2,500. 
Total  salary,  $1,600.  Other  collections,  $823.  Cur- 
rent expenses,  $772.     Sunday-school,  175.* 


ONE-HUNDRED-AND-FIFTY'-EIGHTH  street,  GERMAN. 

{Melrose,  One-hundred-and-fifty-sixth  Street.) 
As  early  as  1852  a  circuit  was  organized  in  the  Ger- 
man work,  Avhicli  extended  from  the  Harlem  River  to 
Mount  Vernon.  In  1856  the  name  was  changed  to 
Melrose  and  Mount  Vernon,  and  in  1863  Melrose  was 
attached  to  Fortieth  Street.  It  seems  to  have  con- 
tinued so  connected  for  four  years,  though  the  Minutes 
of  1865  and  1866  do  not  state  it,  but  in  1867  Melrose 
.appears  by  itself,  and  is  left  to  be  supplied.  From  that 
time  we  have  the  folio winc^  items: 


YEAR.      MEMBERS. 


1867 

— 

To  be  supplied. 

1871 

62 

P.  St.alil. 

1868 

43 

F.  0.  Hartman. 

1872 

52 

" 

1869 

53 

F.  Gleuk. 

1873 

58 

11 

1870 

56 

" 

1874 

58 

W.  Schwartz. 

*  About  1850  two  yoiujo;  men  were  converted  and  united  witli  this 
church.  At  the  General  Conference  of  1888  some  of  the  ladies  of 
the  society  under  whose  auspices  the  mission  was  organized  were 
present  and  could  see  among  tlie  delegates  these  same  persons  repre- 
senting their  Conference  in  the  great  council  of  the  Church.  They 
were  Rev.  P.  Quattlander,  pastor  of  the  German  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  Second  Street,  and  P.  K.  Keller,  now  a  prominent  lay  mem- 
ber of  the  Fortieth  Street  charge. 


German. 

3 

YEAR.      MEMBERS. 

PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

1875       61 

J. 

Kindler. 

1883 

92 

J. 

Lanp;e. 

1876       74 

" 

1884 

100 

C. 

H.  Hoffrogge 

1877       87 

F. 

Key. 

1885 

108 

u                  '"^ 

1878*    77 

" 

1886 

106 

" 

1879       80 

" 

1887 

115 

J. 

Kolb. 

18801  101 

P. 

Haendiges. 

1888 

127 

" 

1881        96 

J. 

Lange. 

1889 

117 

" 

1882       91 

u 

1890 

113 

G. 

H.  Mayer. 

305 


Church,  $9,000.  Parsonage,  $3,000.  Debt,  $1,800. 
Total  salary,  $1,200.  Other  collections,  $444.  Cur- 
rent expenses,  $424.     Sunday-school,  210. 


FIFTY-FIFTH  STREET, 
(St.  PauVs,  German.) 
On  May  17,  1874,  Rev.  Christian  Blinn  began  serv- 
ices in  the  German  language  in  Uinkeldein's  Hall,  No. 
1000  Third  Avenue,  assisted  by  William  Giesregen. 
In  1876  lots  Avere  bought  on  Fifty-fifth  Street,  be- 
tween First  and  Second  Avenues,  and  in  April  of 
the  same  year  the  corner-stone  Avas  laid  by  Mr.  Blinn. 
On  the  20th  of  October  the  basement  was  occupied, 
and  on  the  19th  of  November  the  building  was 
dedicated  by  Bishop  Harris.  The  Revs,  C.  Jost  and 
P.  Quattlander  gave  addresses  also  in  German,  and 
Rev.  M.  D'C.  Crawford  and  General  Clinton  B.  Fisk 
in  English.  The  building  and  ground  were  given  to  the 
society  free  of  debt  by  Rev.  C.  Blinn. |  The  appoint- 
ments and  reports  have  been: 


1874       —     C.   Blian,  W.  Gies-        1875       19     C.  Blinn,  W.  Gies- 
regen. regen. 


*Name  changed  to  One-himdred-and-fifty-sixtli  Street. 

f  Name  changed  to  One-hundred-and-fifty-eightli  Street. 

X  Such  gifts  liave  not  been  uncommon  elsewliere,  but  except  in  the 
liberal  donations  of  the  Cornell  brothers  nothing  of  the  kind  had  oc- 
curred before  in  New  York  city. 


.190  A  History  op  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


YKAK.      MI 

iMBERS 

PASTOK. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS 

PASTOR. 

1876 

31 

C.  Bliim,   W.  Gies- 

1883 

94 

C. 

Reus. 

reojen. 

1884 

116 

G. 

Hauser. 

1877 

32 

W.  H.  Kurth. 

1885 

125 

(( 

1878 

44 

(1 

1886 

114 

(1 

1879 

46 

u 

1887 

93 

F. 

Gleuk. 

1880 

43 

C.  F.  Grimm. 

1888 

71 

" 

1881 

45 

C.  Reu.-. 

1889 

73 

" 

1882 

76 

" 

1890 

70 

" 

The  church  bnihling  is  the  most  vahiable  owned  by 
German  Metliodists  in  the  city,  being  estimated  at 
$40,000.  In  1885  a  parsonage  was  bought,  which  is 
vahied  at  $8,000,  and  on  this  is  a  debt  of  $4,500.  Total 
salary,  |1,.3'20,  of  which  $100  is  from  the  Missionary 
Society.  Other  collections,  $403.  Current  expenses, 
$564.     Sunday-school,  194. 


one-hunrred-and-fourteenth  street,  germax. 
{Harlem.) 

The  commencement  of  this  enterprise  was  the  open- 
ing, in  1879,  of  a  Sunday-school,  whose  services  were 
for  some  time  held  in  a  hall.  The  church  was  built 
in  1882.  For  several  years  the  charge  formed  part  of 
a  circuit  with  Morrisania  and  Melrose.  In  1881  it  ap- 
pears ill  the  Minutes  as  Harlem,  and  from  that  time  its 
record  reads  : 

YEAR.      MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

1881  —     To  be  supplied. 

1882  22 

1883  33  *  C.  Brockmeier. 

1884  55     A.  C.  Gaebelein. 

1885  37  " 

Church,  $13,000.  No  parsonage.  Debt,  $1,500. 
Total  salary,  $1,000  (of  which  $500  is  from  the 
Missionary  Society).  Other  collections,  $216.  Current 
expenses,  $277.     Sunday-school,  200. 

*Tlie  reports  of  1883  and  1884  are  from  Harlem  and  Yonkers. 


YEAB. 

MEMBERS. 

PASTOE. 

1886 

57     A. 

C.  Gaebelein. 

1887 

66     J. 

Flad. 

1888 

59 

" 

1889 

61     J. 

Lange. 

1890 

50 

" 

German.  397 

german,  blinn  memorial. 

( West  Side  Mission.) 

In  1886  the  West  Side  Mission  first  appears  in  the 
list  of  appointments.     Its  statistics  ai'e: 


YEAK. 

MEMBEES.                  PASTOR. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS.                 PASTOR. 

1886 

—     H.  Miller. 

1889 

10     G.  Hausser,  Jr. 

1887 

15     To  be  supplied. 

1890 

29 

1888 

17     G.  Hausser,  Jr. 

Mrs.  Blinn,  widow  of  the  late  Rev.  C.  Blinn,  to  whose 
liberality  the  German  Methodists  of  New  York  are 
indebted  for  the  building  in  Fifty-fifth  Street,  called 
St.  Paul's,  gave  land  in  Ninety-ninth  Street,  near 
Tenth  Avenue,  for  church  purposes,  and  in  1890  the 
name  "West  Side  Mission"  was  changed  to  "Blinn 
Memorial."  * 

Salary,  $400  (contributed  by  the  Missionary  Society). 
Other  collections,  |46.  Current  expenses,  $20.  Sunday- 
school,  35. 


GERMAN,  MISCELLANEOUS. 

Besides  these  there  have  been  other  enterprises,  such 
as  the  City  Mission,  the  Seamen's  Church,  the  Port 
Mission,  Washington  Street,  Twelfth  Street,  and  Chrj'^s- 
tie  Street.  But  these  have  been  abandoned  or  merged 
into  other  organizations,  except  the  Port  Mission,  which 
is  still  carried  on,  having  its  head-quarters  at  27  State 
Street,  in  the  same  building  with  the  Battery  Park 
Mission.     G.  H.  Simons  is  in  charge. 

*  Tliis  lias  since  been  sold,  and  a  new  site  purchased  at  the  corner 
of  Lexington  Avenue  and  103d  Street,  and  a  building  is  about  to  be 
erected  at  a  cost  of  about  $-40,000.  The  society  in  114th  Street  has  also 
sold  its  property,  and  will  unite  with  this  new  enterprise. 


398  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

SWEDISH. 

{North  River  Mission — Swedish  Bethel.) 

In  the  spring  of  1845  the  Asbniy  Society  bought 
the  Bethel  sliip  pJohn  Wesley,  which  had  been  used  for 
a  time  by  the  Wesleyan  Methodists  as  a  center  of 
missionary  work  among  seamen.  At  the  Conference  of 
that  year  Rev.  O.  G.  Hedstrom,  a  converted  Swede 
who  had  been  in  the  itinerancy  about  ten  years,  was 
appointed  to  the  charge,  and  held  service  there  for  the 
first  time  on  May  25.  Exercises  were  also  carried  on 
in  German  and  English.  In  1857  a  new  vessel  was 
bought,  which  in  1876  was  removed  from  the  foot  of 
Carlisle  Street,  on  the  North  River,  to  the  foot  of  Harri- 
son Street,  Brooklyn.  Some  years  after,  however,  this 
Avas  sold,  and  from  that  time  the  mission  work  Avas  car- 
ried on  in  various  places  in  New  York  and  Brooklyn. 
At  first  it  was  entitled  the  North  River  Mission;  in  1847 
it  became  the  North  River  Bethc4  Mission;  and  from 
1849  it  was  known  as  the  Swedish  Bethel.  Mr.  Hed- 
strom continued  in  cliarge  until  1860,  having,  however, 
helpers,  among  whom  were  S.  B.  Newman,  in  1851, 
1852,  and  1856,  and  S.  V.  N.  Newman,  1857-59.  O.  P. 
Petersen  took  charge  in  1860,  and  remained  until  1864, 
when  Mr.  Hedstrom  returned  and  continued  until  1875. 
Then  D.  S.  Sorlin  was  appointed,  and  in  1876,  as  already 
stated,  the  vessel  was  removed  to  Brooklyn,  and  after- 
ward to  Jersey  City,  for  we  read  in  the  New  York 
Tribune  of  October  31,  1890,  p.  12  :  "The  old  Bethel 
ship  John  Wesley,  which  for  many  years  had  been  used 
for  mission  work  at  Fifteenth  Street  and  was  patronized 
by  boatmen  principally,  was  sold  yesterday  at  auction 
for  $295  15.  This  included  the  altar,  bell,  pews,  and 
the  old  blue  Bethel  fiasr." 


Swedish  and  French  Missions,  399 

The  reports  during  the  period  just  described  were  as 
follows  : 


YEAR. 

MEMBERS. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS. 

YEAR. 

MEMBERS. 

1846 

55 

1854 

77 

1862 

87 

1870 

176 

1847 

47 

1855 

72 

1863 

83 

1871 

177 

1848 

40 

1856 

97 

1864 

114 

1872 

269 

1849 

50 

1857 

120 

1865 

135 

1873 

119 

1850 

81 

1858 

125 

1866 

144 

1874 

114 

1851 

61 

1859 

143 

1867 

130 

1875 

110 

1852 

81 

1860 

75 

1868 

150 

1876 

98 

1853 

97 

1861 

83 

1869 

153 

From  tliat  date  no  distinct  account  of  the  work  in 
New  York  can  be  found,  New  York  and  Brooklyn  be- 
ing united.  In  1883,  however,  the  Swedish  Mission  in 
New  York  became  a  separate  appointment.  A,  G. 
Johnson  was  the  preacher,  and  the  reports  were:  in  1883, 
114  members;  1884,  127;  1885,  126;  1886,  115.  In  1886 
it  was  supplied  by  W,  Swenson,  who  reported,  in  1887, 
110.  In  1887  Holjer  Olsen  was  appointed  and  is  still 
in  charge.  His  reports  were:  1888,  187;  1889,  208; 
1890,  181, 

In  1S87,  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  Lexing- 
ton Avenue  having  been  disbanded,  the  property  was 
bought  by  the  Swedish  congregation  Avith  the  aid  of 
the  City  Church  Extension  Society.  It  is  valued  at 
$52,000,  but  after  paying  $5,000  during  the  year  there 
is  still  a  debt  of  $36,000,  There  is  no  parsonage.  Total 
salary,  $400.  Other  collections,  $143.  Current  ex- 
penses, $508.     Sunday-school,  60. 


FRENCH    MISSION, 


A  number  of  members  of  French  descent  have  been 
connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
New  York  city  and  its  vicinity.      The  society  in  New 


400  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Rochelle,  Westchester  County,  is  composed  largely  of 
this  material,  and  the  Disosway  family,  from  Staten 
Island,  became  an  important  element  in  the  Church  in 
the  city.  Duane  Street  and  Bowery  Village  seem  to 
have  had  the  largest  representation  of  this  nation- 
ality. 

At  one  time  there  were  two  French  classes  in  Duane 
Street,  of  which  M.  Queripel  and  Vincent  Le  Compte 
were  leaders.*  But  we  have  no  intimation  of  any  reg- 
ular Methodist  services  in  the  French  language  until 
1838,  when  Charles  H.  Williamson  was  appointed 
"missionary  to  the  French  population  in  the  city  of 
New  York."  He  was  continued  in  the  work  in  1839 
and  1 840,  but  no  reports  of  membership  are  to  be  found. 
In  1841  no  appointment  is  made  to  this  work;  Mr. 
Williamson  is  given  "liberty  to  go  to  France  to  visit 
his  friends,"  and  in  1842  he  withdrew. 

But  in  1851  the  enterprise  was  again  taken  in  hand. 
Thomas  Carter  was  appointed,  who  was  succeeded  in 
1852-53  by  John  B.  Cocagne.  But  again  we  have  no 
reports  of  membership,  and  in  1854  the  work  is  left  to 
.  be  supplied,  and  in  1855  the  name  again  disappears 
from  the  Minutes.  In  1888,  however,  Paul  Desjnrdins 
was  appointed,  who  reported  in  1889  seven  proba- 
tioners, and  was  re-appointed  to  the  work.  The  serv- 
ices are  held  at  58  AYest  Third  Street.  In  1890,  also, 
seven  probationers  were  reported,  and  T.  Leveque  Avas 
aj^pointed. 


WELSH    mission. 

About  1853  a  mission  to  the  Welsh  population  in  the 
city  was  begun.    It  continued  but  a  few  years,  and  little 

*D.  De  Viiine  in  The  Methodist,  vol.  xvi,  p.  257. 


Welsh,  Italian,  and  Chinese  Missions.      401 

can  now  be  learned  of  its  history.     Its  statistics  and  ap- 
pointments were  : 

YEAR.      MEMBERS.  PASTOR.  YEAR.      MEMBERS.  PASTOR. 

1854  44  To  be  supplied.  1858  .38  J.  Elli.s. 

1855  54  T.Thomas.  1859  47 

1856  51  "  1860  ;!9     To  be  supplied. 

1857  46  J.  Ellis. 

The  name  then  disappears  from  the  Minutes,     It  was 
connected  with  the  New  York  East  Conference. 


ITALIAN    mission. 

In  1889  an  Italian  mission  is  found  among  the  ap- 
pointments of  the  New  York  Conference  to  be  "  sup- 
plied by  y.  L.  Calabrese."  He  reported,  in  1890,  55 
probationers  and  a  Sunday-school  of  130.  The  serv- 
ices are  held  at  No.  1  Varick  Place.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  work  among  this  people  will  be  a  success. 


CHINESE    MISSION. 

{Seventh  Avenue  and  Twenty-third  Street.) 

In  several  Methodist  Sunday-schools  in  the  city  there 
have  been  classes  of  Chinese  for  some  years,  but  not 
until  May  1.3,  1888,  was  there  a  distinct  mission  for  that 
people.  It  has  pleasant  accommodations.  Mr.  E.  Rein- 
hart  and  Miss  Mary  A.  Lathbury  are  superintendents, 
and  Chu  Bok  resident  missionary.  The  average  at- 
tendance at  the  Sunday-school  has  been  about  thirty, 
and  there  is  a  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 
Teachers  are  greatly  needed. 


'402  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

FIVE  POINTS  MISSION  —  BATTERY  PARK  MISSION  — 
CHURCH  HOMP]— ST.  CHRISTOPHER'S  HOME— DEACON- 
ESS HOME— CHURCH  EXTENSION  WORK. 

FIVE    points    mission. 

{Centre  Street  Mission.) 

A  good  deal  of  work  in  the  way  of  city  missions  has 
been  done  in  New  York  city,  but  the  most  of  it  resulted 
in  the  establishment  of  churches,  and,  therefore,  is  in- 
cluded m  their  history.  But  the  Five  Points  Mission 
is  unique.  Ever  since  early  in  the  century  the  neigh- 
borhood had  had  a  reputation  for  poverty  and  crime 
almost  equal  to  the  famous  St.  Giles  of  London.  It  was 
dangerous  to  pass  through  it,'  especially  at  night,  for 
debauchery,  robbery,  and  murder  prevailed.  But  Chris- 
tian women  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  believing 
that  Christ  had  died  for  even  such  wretches  as  inhab- 
ited that  den  of  iniquity,  resolved  to  institute  a  mission 
there.  In  1848  some  gentlemen  were  requested  to  sur- 
vey the  ground,  but  they  reported  that  no  suitable  room 
could  be  obtained.  In  1850,  however,  at  the  request  of 
the  ladies,  a  missionary  Avas  appointed  and  a  room  ob- 
tained at  the  corner  of  Little  Water  Street  (now  Mis- 
sion Place)  and  Cross  (noAV  Park)  Street.*  It  was 
about  20  feet  by  40,  and  capable  of  accommodating 
two  hundred  persons.  On  the  first  Sunday  it  was  filled 
with  what  a  lady  described  as  "  a  more  vivid  represen- 

*  This  is  nearer  to  where  Embury's  house  stood  than  any  Meth- 
odist chiircli. 


Five  Points  Mission.  403 

tation  of  hell  than  she  had  ever  imagined."  The  Sun- 
day-school was  opened  with  seventy  scholars,  and  was, 
of  course,  for  some  time  a  scene  of  great  confusion,  but 
gradually  improved.  A  day-school  Avas  also  started  and 
temperance  work  and  other  means  of  relief  and  refor- 
mation instituted. 

A  building  called  "  the  Old  Brewery,"  erected  in  1792, 
but  changed  into  tenements  in  1837,  stood  facing  the 
little  triangular  park  called  (it  would  seem  satirically) 
Paradise  Square.  A  part  of  it  was  known  as  the  "  Den 
of  Thieves;"  a  passage  beside  it  bore  the  name  of 
"  Murderers'  Alley."  When  one  of  the  ladies*  named 
this  as  the  best  site  for  a  mission-building  the  proposi- 
tion was  received  with  a  burst  of  laughter.  But  before 
long  the  wisdom  of  the  suggestion  became  evident. 
The  property  was  bought  for  |;16,000,  and  on  December 
2,  1852,  the  work  of  demolishing  this  stronghold  of 
sin  began.  On  the  27th  of  the  following  January  the 
corner-stone  of  the  mission-building  was  laid  by  Bishop 
Janes,  and  on  June  17  the  house  was  opened  with  a 
sermon  from  Rev.  James  Floy  on  Exod.  xxxiii,  18. 
The  building  was  of  brick,  five  stories  high,  75  feet 
front  and  45  feet  deep,  and  cost  -1l!36,000.  Additions 
were  afterward  made  in  the  rear  and  front.  The 
chapel  will  seat  five  hundred  persons,  and  there  are 
also  a  school-room,  an  infant-class  room,  a  dwelling  for 
the  missionary,  a  number  of  tenements  for  poor  and 
deserving  families,  and  a  circulating  libi-ary. 

That  this  is  a  peculiar  field  ami  needs  peculiar  men 
to  cultivate  it  need  hardly  be  said.  Tt  is  matter  of  great 
thankfulness  that  so  many  have  been  found  who  have 
labored  so  successfully.  With  scarcely  an  exception 
they  have  proved  themselves  fitted  for  the  place. 

For  two  years   the  work  was  known  as  the  Centre 
'  *  Mrs.  C.  R  Deuel,  now  Mrs.  Governor  Wright. 


404  A  History  of  Methodism  in^  New  I^ork  City. 

Street  Mission.  Although  in  the  following  items  from 
the  Annual  Minutes  there  are  statements  of  the  number 
of  members,  it  will  easily  be  understood  that  these  are 
by  no  means  to  be  regarded  as  a  proper  estimate  of  the 
harvest.  Some  of  the  saved  are  on  their  death-beds, 
and  soon  leave  their  squalid  tenements  for  heavenly 
mansions;  those  who  have  health  better  their  condition 
before  long  and  remove  to  more  respectable  neighbor- 
hoods. Thus  the  sheaves  are  generally  soon  garnered 
elsewhere,  and  the  numbers  reported  here  are  but  the 
handfuls  dropped  by  the  way. 


YEAR.    MEMBERS.                     PJSTOB. 

YEAR.    M 

EMBERS. 

PASTOR, 

1850 



L.  M'K.  Pease. 

1869 

19 

J. 

X. 

Shaffer  and  D. 

1851 



J.  Luckey. 

w. 

.  C.  Van  Gaas- 

1852 

15 

" 

beck. 

1853 

30 

B.  M.  Adams. 

1870 

48 

J. 

N. 

Shaffer. 

1854 

31 

A.   S.  Lakin,  B.  M. 
Adams,  sup. 

1871 
1872 

35 

28 

" 

1855 

— 

To  be  supplied. 

1873 

26 

" 

1856 

35 

N.  Mead. 

1874 

21 

*' 

1857 

36 

" 

1875 

10 

C. 

S. 

Brown. 

1858 

62 

A.  K.  Sauford. 

1876 

15 

" 

1859 

49 

" 

1877 

21 

" 

1860 

40 

To  be  supplied.* 

1878 

27 

" 

1861 

32 

A.  K.  Sauford. 

1879 

26 

(( 

1862 

31 

J.  N.  Shaffer. 

1880 

35 

" 

1863 

5 

" 

1881 

— 

s. 

I. 

Ferguson. 

1864 

8 

J.  N.  Shaffer  and  J. 
W.  Mueomber. 

1882 
1883 

14 
16 

u 

1865 

6 

J.  N.  Sliaffer  and  C. 
Battersby. 

1884 
1885 

17 

0 

.  R 

.  Bouton. 

1866 

14 

J.  N.  Shaffer  and  J. 

1886 

40 

a 

Macomber. 

1887 

30 

(I 

1867 

8 

J.  N.  Shaffer  and  G. 

1888 

22 

(1 

W.  Knapp. 

1889 

24 

(( 

1868 

13 

J.  N.  Shaffer  and  G. 
W.  Knapp. 

1890 

20 

The  whole  property  is  now  valued  at  $65,000,  but  is 
really  worth  nearly  |100,000.  No  debt.  Salary,  $1,800. 
Rent,  $700.  Other  collections,  $39.  Current  expenses, 
$300.     Sunday-school,  500. 

*  N.  Mead  and  A.  K.  Sanford  supplied. 


Five  Points  Mission.  405 

This  enterprise  is  carried  on  by  the  Ladies'  Home 
Missionary  Society  of  New  York  city,  and  is  of  course 
dependent  on  the  public  generally  for  support.  Besides 
the  ordinary  expenses  there  is  great  demand  for  aid  to 
the  destitute  in  the  way  of  clothing,  food,  fuel,  etc. 
The  children  in  the  day-school  are  provided  with  din- 
ner every  school-day,  and  clothes  when  needed.  Many 
farmers  on  Long  Island  and  elsewhere  send  an  annual 
contribution  of  potatoes  and  other  articles,  and  pack- 
ages of  clothing,  or  materials  for  it,  come  from  different 
parts  of  the  country.  It  is  all  needed,  and  much  more, 
indeed,  and  in  the  midst  of  other  claims  for  aid  the 
Church  should  not  forget  this.* 


BATTERY    PAKK    MISSION. 

In  July,  1886,  the  Rev.  G.  II.  Goodsell,  tract  agent 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  visited  Castle  Gar- 
den and  became  impressed  with  the  importance  of  mis- 
sionary work  among  the  immigrants.  An  office  was 
opened  at  25  State  Street,  which  in  December,  1887, 
was  superseded  by  a  chapel  and  office  at  No.  27,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  New  York  City  Church  Extension 
Society.  Mr.  Goodsell  was  appointed  superintendent. 
A  class  was  formed  January  15,  1888,  and  a  church  or- 
ganized on  April  28.  About  the  same  time  also  Rev. 
Charles  Samuelsen  was  employed  to  labor  among  the 
Scandinavians.  Three  public  services  are  held  on  Sun- 
day, besides  an  open-air  service  in  the  afternoon,  and 
there  are  meetings  on  four  evenings  during  the  week. 
The  Woman's  Home  Missionary  Society  occupies  the 
upper  floors  as  a  girls'  lodging-house. 

*  The  materials  for  this  sketeli  are  derived  from  a  little  volume,  is- 
sued some  thirty-five  years  ago,  called  The  Old  Brewery,  and  from  a 
paper  published  by  the  mission  called  A  Voice  from,  the  Old  Brewery. 


406  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

The  object  is  to  supply  food  for  the  hungry,  clothing 
for  the  naked,  lodging  for  the  homeless,  work  for  the 
unemployed,  counsel  for  those  needing  it,  and  the  tid- 
ings of  salvation  for  all.  It  reported,  in  1890, 119  mem- 
bers and  $15  collections. 


METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH    HOME. 

A  number  of  the  female  managers  of  the  benevolent 
societies  attached  to  the  several  churches  in  New  York 
city,  having  seen  the  necessity  of  some  better  provision 
for  the  aged  and  infirm  members  of  the  Church,  called 
a  meeting  on  March  4,  1850,  at  Mrs.  Farrar's,  459 
Broadway,  at  which  steps  were  taken  to  organize  the 
Ladies'  Union  Aid  Society.  Several  other  meetings  fol- 
lowed, and  on  August  5,  at  the  Greene  Street  Church, 
a  board  of  directors  was  elected;  Mrs.  M.  W.  Mason 
being  chosen  first  directress  and  Mrs.  Farrar  the  second 
officer.  An  act  of  incorporation  was  obtained  from  the 
Legislature  on  June  19,  1851. 

The  institution  began  its  operations  in  a  hired 
house  at  No.  16  Horatio  Street.  In  1854  or  1855 
Mr.  William  S.  Seaman  gave  two  lots  of  ground  in 
Forty-second  Street  near  Eighth  Avenue,  where  the 
corner-stone  of  a  building  was  laid  on  September  16, 
1856.  The  house  was  dedicated  on  April  27,  1857,  by 
Bishop  Janes. 

In  1884  ground  was  bought  on  Tenth  Avenue,  ex- 
tending from  Ninety-second  to  Ninety-third  Street,  and 
on  November  4,  1S.--5,  the  corner-stone  of  a  new  build- 
ing was  laid  by  Bishop  Harris.  This  was  formally 
opened  with  apjiropriate  exercises  on  November  80, 
1886.  It  is  about  two  hundred  feet  in  front  by  about 
one  hundred  in  deptli.  The  basement  is  of  stone,  and 
the  four  upper  stories  of  brick,  with  gray  sand-stone 


Methodist  Episcopal  Church  Home.         407 

trimming.  Besides  more  than  one  hundred  rooms  for 
inmates  and  the  necessary  dining-rooms,  offices,  etc.,  it 
has  a  very  fine  chapel,  which  will  accommodate  about 
five  hundred  hearers.  Its  total  cost  was  about  $200,000. 
There  are  at  present  about  one  hundred  and  ten  inmates, 
of  whom  about  one  hundred  are  females.  Applicants 
for  admission  must  have  been  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  for  ten  years,  for  the  last  five  in  the 
city  of  New  York. 

Mrs.  M.  W.  Mason  held  the  office  of  first  directress 
until  1868.  Miss  R.  H.  Tittle  succeeded  her.  In  1881 
Mrs.  Bishop  Harris  was  elected,  and  in  1888  Mrs. 
Lemuel  Bangs. 

ST.  Christopher's  home. 

St.  Christopher's  Home  for  orphan  and  destitute 
children  was  incorporated  in  1885.  The  building  it 
now  occupies  on  Riverside  Drive,  near  112th  Street, 
is  leased,  but  it  is  trying  to  accumulate  a  building 
fund,  of  which  $5,000  has  been  secured.  Preference 
is  given  to  children  from  Methodist  Sunday-schools, 
but  others  are  not  excluded.  It  is  hardly  necessary 
to  say  that  it  is  supplying  an  evident  want,  and  only 
needs  means  to  do  much  good.  Mrs.  J.  A.  Kennedy, 
135  West  Twenty-second  Street,  is  the  president. 


NEW    YORK    deaconess    HOME    AND    TRAINING-SCHOOL. 

This  institution,  recently  organized  under  the  action 
of  the  last  General  Conference,  will  no  doubt  soon  do 
effective  service  among  the  poor  and  suffering  and  sin- 
ful of  the  city.  The  house  at  241  West  Fourteenth 
Street  Avill  accommodate  from  twenty  to  twenty-five. 
Miss  M.  E.  Lay  ton,  formerly  principal  of  the  girls' 
school  in  Calcutta,  is  superintendent. 
27 


408  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

CHURCH    EXTENSION    WORK. 

Various  enterprises  designed  to  originate  and  build  up 
new  organizations  have  existed  in  the  city.  The  As- 
bury  society  has  ah-eady  been  noticed  (see  p.  332).  It 
gave  birth  to  the  Asbury  cliurches  in  Norfolk  and  Jane 
Streets.  In  1844  the  Ladies'  Home  Missionary  Society 
was  formed,  and  to  it  the  Dry  Dock  Mission  (Ninth 
Street,  now  Eleventh  Street)  and  the  Second  German 
Church  in  Fortieth  Street  owe  their  existence.  It  also 
founded  and  still  sustains  the  Five  Points  Mission. 

Somewhere  about  1820  a  Sunday-school  society  was 
formed.  This  afterward  became  the  New  York  City 
Sunday-school  and  Missionary  Society,  and  \vas  incoi'- 
porated  under  that  name  April  14,  1866.  On  March 
14,  1871,  the  title  was  changed  to  the  New  York  City 
Church  Extension  and  Missionary  Society,  and  the  act 
of  incorporation  so  amended  as  to  enlarge  the  sphere 
and  increase  the  usefulness  of  the  society.  The  first 
president  was  W.  W.  Cornell,  at  whose  death  A.  V. 
Stout  was  elected.  In  1872  J.  B.  Cornell  was  chosen, 
and  in  1886  Bowles  Colgate.  The  object  of  the  society 
is  to  found  and  sustain  new  church  enterprises  and  to 
assist  those  Avhich  are  weak.  For  a  complete  view  of 
the  work  it  has  effected  its  reports  must  be  examined. 
It  is  sufficient  here  to  say  that  it  has  organized  or  as- 
sisted Kingsbridge  (St.  Stephen's),  Woodlawn,  St.  Marks, 
Thirty-seventh  Street,  Thirty-fifth  Street,  Perry  Street, 
St.  Andrew's,  Sixty-first  Street,  Morrisania,  Church  of 
the  Saviour  (109th  Street),  Grace  Church  (104th  Street), 
Eleventh  Street,  Washington  Heights,  Cornell  Memo- 
rial (East  Seventy-sixth  Street),  Calvary  (West  Harlem), 
Seventeenth  Street,  Mott  Avenue,  Franklin  Street,  Bat- 
tery Park  Mission,  Woodstock,  etc.  It  is  also  sustain- 
ing the  French,  Italian,  and  Chinese  work  in  the  city. 


Appendix  A.  409 


APPENDIX    A. 

HECK  OR  HICK. 

Tt  will  be  seen  tliat  in  the  text  tlie  writer  was  non-committal  as  to 
the  identity  of  the  good  lady  wlio  aroused  Philip  Kmljiiry  to  iiis  duty. 
Tills  was  because  he  then  believed  it  impossible  to  solve  the  problem 
satisfactorily,  though  he  was  inclined  to  favor  tlie  claim  of  the  Hicks 
of  New  York.  Since  then,  however,  he  has  become  convinced  of  the 
superiority  of  the  claim  of  the  Hecks  of  Canada;  and  if  the  pages  in 
which  the  account  is  given  had  not  been  already  stereotyped  the 
name  of  Barbara  Heck  would  have  been  Inserted  as  entitled  to  the 
honor.  Even  in  that  case,  however,  some  explanatory  remarks 
would  have  been  necessary.  The  controversy  itself  has  become  an 
item  in  the  history  of  New  York  Methodism,  and  is  a  curious  illus- 
tration of  the  unreliability  of  traditions.  Besides,  the  parties  in  New 
York  citj' have  a  right  to  a  fair  statement  .of  their  case,  as  a  decision 
against  them  would  seem  almost  like  an  impeachment  of  their  iiiteg- 
rit}',  which  would  be  altogether  undeserved. 

Until  1858  New  York  Methodists  supposed  that  there  was  no 
doubt  that  the  mother  of  their  honored  and  excellent  brother,  Paul 
Hick,  was  Embury's  reprover.  When,  therefore,  it  was  asserted  that 
she  removed  to  Canada  and  died  there,  it  seemed  to  them  at  first  pre- 
posterous; but  it  sion  appeared  that  there  was  something  to  be  said 
in  favor  of  this  claim.  Alter  a  long  controversy  Rev.  J.  B.  Wakeley, 
of  New  York  Conference,  and  Rev.  John  Carroll,  of  Canada,  with 
John  and  George  Heclc,  grandsons  of  Barbara  Heck,  of  Canada,  met 
ill  the  presence  of  Bishop  Janes  and  Rev.  A.  Stevens  and  agreed  on 
the  following  points : 

'•  1.  That  Paul  Heck,  late  of  Canada,  was  one  of  the  original  trust- 
ees of  John  Street,  because  his  name  occurs  in  the  original  lease, 
and  lie  was  a  contributor  to  the  erection  of  the  church  ;  and  his 
name  occurs  once  in  the  accounts,  and  his  signature  to  a  receipt  for 
£1  Gs.  received  for  boards  corresponds  with  autographs  of  his  in  sun- 
dry books  preserved  in  the  family,  as  well  as  testimony  of  friends  and 
neighbors  who  came  with  him  from  Ireland  and  lived  by  him  first  in 
New  York,  then  in  Camden,  and  finally  settled  with  him  in  Canada. 


410  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

"  2.  He  and  Mr.  P.  Hick,  who  became  trustee  in  1786,  and  died  in 
New  York,  1825,  were  two  different  persons. 

'•3.  That  his  wife  was  Barbara  Ruckle,  as  is  plain  from  tea-spoons 
and  the  testimony  of  many  living  witnesses. 

"  "We  leave  it  to  tlie  public  to  decide  whether  the  above  Mrs.  Heck 
or  Mrs.  Hick,  mother  of  him  who  died  in  New  York,  1825  (and  whose 
Christian  and  maiden  name  are  not  certainly  known),  was  the  person 
wlio  threw  the  cards  into  the  fire,  etc. 

"  1.)  On  the  Canada  side  are  the  professions  of  Mrs.  Barbara  Heck 
herself,  whom  many  living  witnesses  represent  as  incapable  of  fabri- 
cation, the  testimony  of  all  the  German-Irish  Methodists,  wlio  knew 
her  in  Ireland,  Camden,  and  Canada:  pariicnlarly  the  late  John  Law- 
rence, of  Augusta,  second  husband  of  Mrs.  P.  Emburj-,  who  was  at 
the  card-table  mentioned,  and  one  of  the  six  persons  of  the  first 
congregation. 

"  2.)  On  the  New  York  side  that  the  late  Mr.  and  Mrs.  P.  Hick,  of 
New  York,  son  and  daughter-in-law  of  the  New  York  claimant,  both 
eminently  good,  as  testified  by  hundreds,  claimed  that  their  motlier 
was  the  person. 

"  Jointlj'  agree,  we  know  of  no  one  on  either  side  who  would  wlU- 
fuU^'  misiepresent  facts. 

"  N.  B. — Dr.  Bangs  was  waited  on,  but  was  in  the  country.  J.  P. 
Hick,  of  Mount  Vernon,  was  requested  to  be  present,  but  found  it 
inconvenient  to  attend.  J.  B.  Wakeley, 

"John  Carroll."* 

With  these  points  mutually  admitted  let  us  see  what  further  is 
to  be  said.  Let  it  be  observed,  however,  that  no  stress  is  to  be 
laid  on  the  spelling  of  the  name.  In  the  li.st  of  subscribers  to 
the  church-building  in  the  "  Old  Book  "  it  is  plainly  Heck;  but  the 
li.st  is  a  copj-,  and,  therefore,  no  authority  on  this  point.  His  signa- 
ture to  a  receipt  in  that  book  is  Hick;  the  second  letter  is  so  indefi- 
nite that  it  may  Ije  either  an  e  or  an  i  vvitliout  a  dot.  In  the  old  rec- 
ords of  the  New  York  church  we  have  Hick  and  Heck,  where  it  is  ev- 
ident that  the  family  of  Paul  Hick  is  intended.  And  some  members  of 
the  Heck  family  in  Canada  have  been  called  Hick— the  Rev.  John  Hick, 
for  instance.  These  differences  will  not  surprise  any  one  who  has 
h.id  any  experience  in  the  speUing  of  proper  names.  He  will  know 
that  they  are  subject  to  the  widest  variations.  As  a  case  in  point, 
■the  name  Embury  is  spelled  Embree,  Embry,  Emmery,  and  in  the  Pa- 

*  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  x.xxiv,  p.  108. 


Appendix  A.  411 

latiiiate,  whence  the  family  came,  it  is  Emmericli.*  While,  therefore, 
it  may  be  true  that  in  tlie  Palatinate,  though  "you  flud  the  family 
name  Heclv  very  often,"  "  the  name  Hick  is  not  known,"  f  it  is  evi- 
dent tliat  if  Emmerich  lias  been  transformed  into  Embury  and  Emory 
it  would  not  be  surprising  if  Heck  should  be  evolved  into  Hick. 

The  New  York  claim  seemed  certainly  to  have  a  solid  foundation. 
Tlie  recollections  of  Paul  Hick  reached  back  to  nearly  tlie  date  of  the 
events;  he  lived  fifty  years  after,  and  he  was  not  a  "man  to  be  easily 
misled,  nor  purposely  mislead."  ^  Among  the  papers  left  by  Dr. 
Wakeley  is  a  certificate  from  Eliphalet  Wheeler,  a  most  worthy  offi- 
cial member  of  the  Church  in  New  York  city  for  many  years,  testifying 
strongly  to  the  excellence  of  Paul  and  Hannah  Hick.  From  them 
Dr.  Bangs  says  he  got  "  several  of  the  facts  "  he  relates ;  among 
others,  as  it  would  seem,  that  the  lady  was  the  mother  of  Paul 
Hick.§  And  some  five  years  after  he  writes  the  memoir  of  "  Mrs. 
Ann  Bonsell,  daughter  of  the  late  Paul  Hick,  and  granddaughter 
of  Mrs.  Hick,  who  was  so  active  in  the  formation  of  the  first  Meth- 
odist society  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  the  year  1766."  ||  And 
it  must  be  remembered  that  Dr.  Bangs  wrote  thus,  knowing  that 
there  was  another  story  in  Canada.  He  tells  us  he  received  the  ac- 
count there  before  he  came  to  New  York,  that  when  he  came  to  the 
city  he  heard  the  New  York  story,  and  was  "  inclined  to  believe  that 
Paul  Hick  of  New  York,  who  professed  to  k7iow  the  facts,"  "which 
were  corroborated  by  his  wife,  was  correct  in  his  statements,"  and 
that  nothing  he  had  heard  or  read  since  had  caused  him  to  change  his 
mind  concerning  their  truth.^  Indeed,  nothing  but  such  strong  con- 
viction of  the  truth  of  the  New  York  accounts  could  justify  Dr.  Bangs 
in  keeping  silence  as  to  what  he  heard  in  Canada. 

Again,  the  Rev.  P.  P.  Sandford,  a  man  of  remarkably  good  judgment 
and  unimpeachable  integrity,  in  his  Memoirs  of  Mr.  Wedey's  Mission- 
aries to  America,  says  (page  8):    "Among  the  emigrants  of  his  latter 

*  Letter  of  Rev.  L.  Nippert  to  the  author.  The  question  is  naturally  sug- 
gested whether  Bishop  Emory  may  not  have  been  of  the  same  slock.  Rev. 
George  R.  Crooks,  D.D.,  son-in-law  of  the  bishop,  says  there  is  a  tradition  in 
the  family  that  it  is  of  German  origin,  and  that  the  primitive  spelling  was 
Emmerich.  In  Webster's  UnahrUlged  Dic.tionarih  among  English  names 
we  And,  "  Emery,  Emmery,  Emory.  [A.  S.]  Powerful ;  rich.  Lat.,  Almericus; 
It.,  Amerigo ;  Fr.,  Emeri."    Was  Amerigo  Vespucci  of  the  same  stock  ? 

t  Rev.  H.  Mann,  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  Ix,  p.  40. 

i  D.  Curry,  D.D.,  in  Cliristian  Advocate,  vol.  xli,  p.  402. 

§  Bangs's  Hmorn  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  1,  p.  51,  note. 

II  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xvli,  p.  144. 

1 1bid.,  vol.  xxxiii,  p.  170. 


412  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  Xeav  Yokk  City, 

period  (1766)  there  were  two  families  of  tlie  names  of  Hick  and  Dea", 
who  seem  to  have  retained  more  .of  the  influence  of  the  religion  ihey 
had  experienced  in  Ireland  tlian  any  of  their  predecessors ;  and  from  a 
member  of  each  of  these  families,  who  were  very  young  at  the  time  of 
their  emigration,  the  writer  received  some  of  the  facts  recorded  in 
this  introductor}'  article.  Mrs.  Hick,  especially,  appears  to  have  been  a 
very  pious  woman:  and  it  was  tlirough  her  earnest  importunity  tliat 
Mr.  Embury  was  prevailed  upon  to  preach."* 

Still  further,  in  a  communication  to  The  Christian  Advocate,  vol. 
XXXV,  p.  60,  Rev.  Ignatius  T.  Cooper  gives  a  copy  of  a  paper  found 
among  the  manuscripts  of  Rev.  Ezekiel  Cooper.  He  thinks  it  was 
written  wiien  Mr.  Cooper  was  stationed  on  Long  Island  in  1785,  or 
subsequentl}^  in  New  York.  It  is  entitled,  "  Peier  Parks's  True 
Statement  of  the  First  Rise  of  tiie  Methodists  in  America,"  etc. 
"  Philip  Emmery,  a  local  preacher  from  Limerick,  Ireland,  hired  an 
upper  room  in  Barracks  Street,  where  he  lived  ten  doors  from  tiie 
Barracks,  now  called  Augusta  Street  (later  City  Hall  Place).  Sister 
Hick,  mother  of  Paul  Hick,  who  resided  opposite  the  Barracks,  per- 
suaded Mr.  Emmery  to  have  preaching  in  his  house,"  etc.  The  New 
York  tradition  is  evidently  very  old.  \ 

Once  more.  Bishop  Asbury  must  have  been  perfectly  familiar  with 
the  New  York  view.  Peter  Parks  speaks  of  it  as  a  familiar  thing  be- 
fore the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  On  July  5,  1811,  the  bishop 
was  in  Canada,  and  lie  writes  in  his  Journal :  "  I  preached  at  the  Ger- 
man settlement."  "Here  is  a  decent,  loving  people;  my  soul  is  mucli 
united  to  them.  I  called  upon  Father  Dulinage,  and  on  Brother 
Hicks — a  branch  of  an  old  Irish  stock  of  Methodists  in  New  York." 
Did  they  say  nothing  to  him  about  the  matter,  or  did  he  think  what 
they  said  not  worth  notice  ?     The  omission  is  significant. 

But,  wliile  all  this  is  true,  the  Hecks  of  Canada  give  a  more  particu- 
lar account  of  the  affair,  and  are  able  to  produce  a  larger  amount  of 
corroborative  testimony.  Mrs.  Barbara  Heck,  they  say,  was  a  Ruckle. 
Dr.  Crook:}:  writes:    "Mrs.  Heck  sent  a  letter  to  a  friend  in  Balliii- 

*In  the  Short  Historical  Account  (page  -SHt  is  said  she  was  of  the  first 
company,  and  the  card-players  of  the  second.  Mr.  John  P.  Hick,  of  Mount 
Vernon,  N.  Y.,  says  he  thinks  his  ancestress  came  with  the  second  company  in 
1706.  He  adds  that  she  had  two  sons,  Paul  and  John,  and  that  John  died  early. 
Of  Paul's  children  the  oldest  was  named  William  Spraggs,  after  the  preacher, 
Samuel  Spraggs.    This  was  the  father  of  J.  P.  Hick. 

i-Dr.  Wakeley  says  :  "  Peter  Parks  was  one  of  the  purest  of  men.  His  testi- 
mony cannot  be  douhU^d."'— Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxxv,  p.  72. 

i  Irelwid  and  A.nicricau  Melltodism,  note,  p.  95. 


Appendix  A.  413 

gran,  in  which  she  gave  an  account  of  the  transaction  identical  with 
the  above  [tliat  is,  the  statement  Dr.  Crook  gives].  Tliis  letter  was 
preserved  lor  many  years,  and  old  Mrs.  Ruckle  told  me  she  had  ofien 
read  it.  .  .  .  It  was  subsequently  taken  to  America  by  Mr.  Christopher 
Ruckle,  who  emigrated  some  years  ago,  and  settled,  I  think,  in  Ohio." 
Mr.  Ruckle  settled  in  Maumee,  0.,  and  a  daughter  is  now  living  at 
Presque  Isle,  in  that  State.  She  says  the  letter  is  lost;  that  it  con- 
tained but  a  few  words,  but  lier  father  could  give  it  almost  word  for 
word.  The  writer  has  asked  for  a  statement  of  its  contents,  but  has 
nut  obtaiutd  it.  But  the  bare  fact  that  such  a  letter  was  written, 
and  that  it  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Ruckle  family,  argues  tliat  she 
was  of  that  family.  But  there  is  at  least  no  evidence  that  Mrs.  Hick, 
of  New  York,  was  a  Ruckle.  The  Canada  people  say  tliat  their  ances- 
tress was  a  cousin  of  Embury's,  that  the  card-playing  took  place  in  her 
kitchen,  and  she  came  in,  swept  the  cards  into  her  apron  and  threw 
them  into  the  fire.  John  Lawrence,  who  afterward  married  the  widow 
of  Embury,  said  he  was  one  of  tlie  players,  and  testified  to  the  fact. 
Mrs.  Heck  lived  until  1804,  and  adliered  to  her  statement  to  the  last. 
Her  descendants  and  other  witnesses  in  Canada  saj'  they  ofien  heard 
it  from  her  lips.  The  fact  also  that  this  family  went  with  Embury  to 
Camden,  N.  Y.,  and  afterward  to  Canada  with  Embury's  widow  in 
their  company,  is  presumptive  evidence  in  their  favor. 

But  what  to  the  writer  has  been  the  most  decisive  evidence  is  what 
follows.  Somehow  tliere  was  a  tradition  in  New  York  that  tlie 
Christian  name  of  the  lady  was  Barbara.  Dr.  Wakeley  gives  it  so  in 
Lod  Chapters,  etc.  (p.  117),  and  this  was  written  before  the  Canada 
claim  was  known.  He  says  also  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  George  Heck, 
dated  Harlem,  N.  Y.,  May  12,  1862:  "When  I  wrote  the  Lost  Chap- 
ters I  had  never  heard  of  the  Heck  family  in  Canada,  or  that  any  one 
claimed  to  have  the  power  of  stirring  up  Embury  except  Paul  Hide's 
mother,  of  New  York."  But  Mr.  Jonathan  P.  Hick,  of  Mount 
Vernon,  N.  Y.,  grandson  of  Paul  Hick,  in  a  letter  to  the  writer, 
dated  January  11,  1885,  in  answer  to  certain  questions,  says: 
"  My  great-grandmother,  b}'  all  that  I  have  heard,  came  over  a  widow 
with  two  children,  Paul  and  John."  "I  do  not  know  what  her 
e.xact  Christian  name  was;  it  somehow  or  other  got  to  be  called 
Barbary."  Here  is  an  obscurity  which  must  be  admitted  to  be  a  fatal 
flaw  in  the  evidence. 

The  house  in  which  Barbara  Ruckle  was  born  was  standing  at  least 
as  late  as  1866,  at  Ballingran,  Ireland,  as  was  also  tliat  of  Mr.  Heck, 
where  she  lived  after  her  marriage.     "  It  is  an  ordinary  comfortable 


414  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

cottage,  with  a  nice  garden  before  the  door."  Methodist  ministers 
were  still  hospitably  entertiiiued  there.* 

About  midwa}'  between  the  town  of  Prescolt  and  the  village  of 
Maiiland,  in  Canada,  is  "the  old  Blue  Cluirch  Burying-groiind."  The 
old  building  has  gone,  but  the  ground  is  still  used  for  burials.  Rev.  W. 
W.  Bowdish,  lately  pastor  of  old  Jolm  Street,  has  recently  visited  the 
place,  and  sends  a  copy  of  the  inscription  on  the  graves  of  Paul  and 
Barbara  Heck:  "In  memory  of  Paul  and  Barbara  Heck.  Paul  Heck, 
born  17:^0.  died  1795.  Barbara  Heck,  wife  of  Paul  Heck,  Bora  1734, 
died  August  17,  1804." 

In  Hie  burying-ground  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Ch\irch  at  Upper  New  Rociielle,  Westchester  County,  N.  Y.,  is  a  stone 
inscribed:  "Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Paul  Hick,  who  died  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  March  16,  1825,  ia  the  73d  year  of  his  age.  Hannah 
Hick,  his  wife,  who  died  July  28,  1826,  in  the  76th  year  of  her  ago. 
They  sustained  the  character  of  deep  piety  and  usefulness,  and  were 
early  connected  with  the  formation  of  the  first  Methodist  church  in 
the  city  of  New  York,  and  finally  died  in  the  triumph  of  faith. 
'They  rest  from  ilieir  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow  them.'  " 

Even  if  these  were  not  of  the  family  of  the  genuine  Mrs.  H.  they  de- 
serve remembrance  as  early  and  active  members  of  tlie  Church  in  New 
York  city.  Mrs.  Hick,  of  New  York,  was  buried  in  Trinity  church- 
yard.    The  exact  place  of  her  interment  is  not  known. 


APPENDIX  B. 

THE   LEASE.f 


"This  Indenture,  made  this  twenty-ninth  day  of  March,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty-eight,  between 
Mary  Barclay,  executrix,  and  Andrew  Barclay,  Leonard  Lispenard, 
and  David  Clarkson,  executors  of  the  last  will  and  testament  of 
Henry  Barclay,  late  of  the  city  of  New  York,  clergyman,  deceased, 
on  the  one  part,  and  Philip  Embury,  "William  Lupton,  Charles  White, 
Richard  Sause,  Henry  Newton,  Paul  Hick,  and  Thomas  Taylor,  all  of 
the  city  of  New  York,  and  Tliomas  Webb,  of  Queens  County,  of  the 
other  part :    Witnesseth,  that  they,  the  said  parties  of  tJie  first  part,  for 

*  Crook's  Treland  and  American  Methodism,  p.  78. 

+  The  original  of  this  paper  has  not  been  found  by  the  writer.  It  is  given  on 
the  authority  of  Dr.  Wakeley,  who  does  not  say  where  he  got  it  or  what  has 
become  of  it. 


Appendix  Ij.  415 

and  ia  consideration  of  the  sum  of  five  shillings,  lawful  money  of  New- 
York,  to  them  in  hand  well  and  truly  paid  at  or  before  the  sealings 
and  delivery  of  these  presents  by  the  said  parties  of  the  second  part, 
the  receipt  whereof  tliey,  the  said  parties  of  the  first  part,  do  iiereby 
acknowledge,  have  bargained,  granted,  and  sold,  and  by  these  pres- 
ents do  fully,  fieely,  and  absolutely  grant,  bargain,  and  sell  unto  them, 
the  said  parties  of  the  second  part,  All  those  two  certain  lots  of  ground 
situate,  lying,  and  being  in  the  North  Ward  of  the  said  city  of  New 
York  (being  part  and  parcel  of  the  estate  o^  Anthony  Rutgers,  deceased, 
and  upon  a  division  of  the  said  estate  fell  to  the  part  and  share  of  the 
said  Henry  Barclay)  and  known  and  distinguished  in  a  certain  map 
bearing  date  the  fourteenth  day  of  September,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
one  thoiisand  six  hundred  and  ninety-six,  made  of  the  land  commonly 
called  Shoemaker's  Ground,  by  lots  No.  112  and  No.  113,  containing 
in  breadth,  in  front  and  rear,  each  of  them  twenty-five  feet,  be 
the  same  more  or  less,  and  in  length  on  both  sides  each  of  them 
ninety-five  feet,  be  the  same  more  or  less;  the  lot  No.  112,  bounded 
north  easterly  in  front  on  John  Street,  north-westerly  by  the  house  and 
lot  of  ground  in  the  tenure  and  occupation  of  Jonathan  Blocker, 
south-westerly  in  the  rear  groimd  in  the  tenure  and  occupation  of 
Jacob  Van  Woert,  and  south-easterly  by  the  said  lot  No.  113;  and  the 
lot  No.  113,  bounded  north-easterly  in  front  by  John  Street  aforesaid, 
north-westerly  by  the  said  lot  No.  112,  south-westerly  in  the  rear  by 
groiuid  of  Anthony  Rutgers,  and  south-easterly  by  ground  of  the  said 
Leonard  Lisnenard;  together  with  all  and  singular  tlie  houses,  out- 
houses, stables,  gardens,  water-wells,  curtilages,  easements,  profits, 
commodities,  emoluments,  hereditaments,  and  appurtenances  to  the 
same  belonging  or  in  any  wise  appertaining;  and  the  reversion  and 
reversions,  remainder  and  remainders,  rents,  issues,  and  services 
thereof,  and  every  part  and  parcel  thereof,  with  the  appurtenances, 
to  have  and  to  hold,  ail  and  singuhir  the  said  hereby  granted  prem- 
ises, and  every  part  and  parcel  tlierewith  the  appurtenances,  unto 
them,  the  said  parties  of  the  second  part,  their  executors,  adminis- 
trators, and  assigns,  for  and  during  and  until  the  full  end  and  term 
of  one  whole  year  from  the  day  of  the  date  of  these  presents  next 
ensuing,  and  fully  to  be  complete  and  ended,  yielding  and  paying 
therefor  unto  tlie  said  parties  of  the  first  part,  their  executors,  admin- 
istrators, or  assigns,  the  rent  of  one  peppercorn,  on  the  last  day  of  the 
said  term,  only  if  lawfully  demanded,  to  the  intent  and  purpose,  that 
by  virtue  of  these  presents,  and  by  the  force  of  the  statute  for  trans- 
ferring of  uses  into  possession,  the  said  parties  of  the  second  part  may 


416  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

be  in  the  actual  possession  of  all  and  singnlar  tlie  hereby  granted 
premises,  and  every  part  and  parcel  therewith  the  appurtenances,  and 
be  thereby  enabled  to  accept  and  take  a  grant  and  release  of  the 
reversion  and  inheritance  thereof  to  them,  their  heirs,  and  assigns 
forever,  to  the  only  proper  use,  benefit,  and  behoof  of  them,  their 
heirs,  and  assigns  forever,  by  indenture,  intended  to  be  made  between 
the  said  parties  to  these  presents,  and  to  bear  date  the  day  next  after 
the  day  of  the  date  of  these  presents. 

"  In  witness  wliereof  the  said  parties  to  these  presents  liave  liere- 
unto  set  their  hands  and  seals,  the  day  and  year  first  above  written. 
"  Mary  Barclay,      [l.  s.]       Leonard  Lispenard,  [l.  s.] 
"  An'drew  Barclay,  [l.  s.]      David  Clarkson'.        [l.  s.] 
"Sealed  and  delivered  in  presence  of  Thomas  Barclay,  Egbert 
Benson." 

This  paper  is  indorsed:        "  Mary  Barclay  and  otliers,  1 

to  >•  Lease." 

Philip  Embury  and  others.  ) 


APPENDIX  C. 

THE  FIRST  DEED  OF  SALE.* 

"  This  Indenture,  made  this  thirtieth  day  of  March,  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty-eiglit,  between  Mary 
Barclay,  executrix,  and  Andrew  Barclaj^  Leonard  Lispenard,  and 
David  Clarkson,  executors  of  the  last  will  and  testament  of  Henry 
Barclay,  late  of  the  city  of  New  York,  clerk,  deceased,  of  tlie  one  part, 
and  Philip  Embury,  William  Lupton,  Charles  White,  Richard  Sause, 
Henry  Newton,  Paul  Heck,  and  Thomas  Taylor,  all  of  the  city  of 
New  York,  and  Thomas  Webb  of  Queens  County,  of  the  other  part ; 
Wliereas,  the  said  Henry  Barclay,  in  and  by  his  last  will  and  testa- 
ment in  duo  form  of  law  made  and  executed,  bearing  date  the  nine- 
teenth day  of  June  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  seven  hun- 
dred and  sixt3'-four,  did,  among  other  things  therein  contained  for  the 
better  improving  his  estate,  fully  authorize  and  impower  liis  execu- 
tors or  any  two  of  them,  and  the  survivor  and  survivors  of  them  (it 
being  with  the  approbation  of  his  wife),  either  to  demise  for  a  term 
of  years,  or  to  grant,  bargain,  sell,  and  convey  in  fee  simple,  to  such 
person  and  persons,  and  for  such  price  and  sums  of  money  as  could 

♦This  paper  is  in  the  hands  of  the  trustees  of  the  Eighteenth  Street  Church, 
New  York.    Dr.  Wakeley  does  not  give  it. 


AppEXDik  C.  417 

be  had  or  gotten  for  the  same,  All  his  messuHges,  lands,  tenements, 
and  real  estate  whatsoever  and  wheresoever,  or  any  part  or  parcel 
thereof,  and  to  make,  seal,  and  execute  good  and  sufficient  deeds  and 
conveyances  in  the  law  to  the  purchaser  or  purcliasers  thereof,  his, 
her,  and  their  heirs  and  assigns  forever ;  And  whereas  also  the  said 
parties  of  the  first  part  have  agreed,  by  virtue  of  the  power  and  au- 
thoritj'  to  them  in  and  by  the  said  last  will  and  testament  given  for 
the  consideration  hereinafter  mentioned,  to  convey  to  the  said  parties 
of  the  second  part  tlie  said  two  lots  of  ground  hereinafter  particularly 
mentioned  and  described,  the  approbation  of  the  said  Mary  Barclay 
tliereof  being  signified  by  her  sealing  and  delivering  this  indenture 
as  a  party  thereto;  Now  therefore  this  indenture  witnesseth  that  the 
said  Mary  Barclny,  Andrew  Barclay,  Leonard  Lispenard,  and  David 
Cl::rkson,  for  and  in  consideration  of  the  sum  of  six  hundred  pounds 
lawful  money  of  New  York  to  them  in  hand  well  and  truly  paid  at  or 
before  the  sealing  and  delivery  of  these  presents  hy  tlie  said  par- 
ties of  the  second  part,  the  receipt  whereof  they,  the  said  parties  of 
the  first  part,  do  hereby  acknowledge,  and  thereof  and  therefrom  and 
of  and  from  every  part  and  parcel  thereof  do  hereby  exonerate,  acquit, 
and  discharge  the  said  parties  of  the  second  part  and  each  aud  every 
of  them,  their  and  each  and  every  of  their  heirs,  executors,  and  ad- 
ministrators, have  granted,  bargained,  sold,  aliened,  remised,  released, 
enfeoffed,  conveyed,  assured,  and  confirmed,  and  by  these  presents 
do  fully,  freely,  and  absolutely  grant,  bargain,  sell,  alieue,  remise,  re- 
lease, enfeoff,  assure,  and  confirm  unto  them  tlie  said  parties  of  the 
second  part  (in  their  actual  possession  by  now  being  virtue  of  a  bar- 
gain and  sale  to  them  thereof  made  for  one  whole  year  by  indenture 
bearing  date  the  day  next  before  the  daj"-  of  the  date  of  these  presents 
and  by  virtue  of  the  statute  for  transferring  of  uses  into  possession) ; 
All  those  two  certain  lots  of  ground  situate,  lying,  and  being  in  the 
North  "Ward  of  the  said  city  of  New  York  (being  part  and  parcel  of 
the  estate  of  Anthony  Rutgers,  deceased,  and  npon  a  division  of  the 
said  estate  fell  to  the  part  and  share  of  the  said  Henry  Barclay),  and 
known  and  distinguished  on  a  certain  map  bearing  date  the  fourteenth 
day  of  September  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  six  hundred 
and  ninety-six,  made  of  the  land  commonly  called  Shoemaker's 
Ground,  by  lots  No.  112  and  No.  113,  containing  in  breadth  in  front 
and  rear  each  of  them  twenty-five  feet,  be  the  same  more  or  less,  and 
in  length  on  both  sides  each  of  them  ninety-five  feet,  be  the  same 
more  or  less;  the  lot  No.  112  bounded  north-easterly  in  front  on  John 
Street,  north-westerly  by  the  house  and  lot  of  ground  in  the  tenure 


418  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

and  occupation  of  Jonathan  Bleeker,  soulli-vvesterly  in  the  rear  by 
ground  in  the  tenure  and  occupation  of  Jacob  Van  Woert,  and  south- 
easterly by  the  said  lot  No.  113;  and  the  lot  No.  113  bounded  north- 
easterly in  front  by  John  Street  aforesaid,  north-westerly  by  the  said 
lot  No.  112,  south-westerly  in  the  rear  by  ground  of  Anthony  Rut- 
gers, and  south-easterly  by  grouud  of  the  said  Leonard  Lispenard, 
together  with  all  and  singular  the  houses,  out-houses,  kithins,  stables, 
fences,  gardens,  water- wells,  solars,  curtilages,  easements,  profits, 
commndities,  emoluments,  hereditaments,  and  appurtenances  wiiaiso- 
ever  to  the  same  belonging  or  in  any  wise  appertaining,  and  the  re- 
version and  reversions,  remainder  and  remainders,  rents,  issues,  and 
services  thereof  and  of  every  part  and  parcel  thereof,  with  the  appur- 
tenances, to  have  and  to  liold  all  and  singular  the  said  hereby  granted 
premises,  and  every  part  and  parcel  thereof,  with  the  appurtenances 
unto  them,  the  said  parties  of  the  second  part,  their  heirs,  and  assigns 
forever,  to  the  only  proper  use,  benefit,  and  behoof  of  them,  their 
heirs,  and  assigns  forever;  And  the  said  parties  of  the  first  part  do 
for  themselves  and  each  of  them  doth  for  herself  and  himself,  their 
and  each  of  their  heirs,  executors,  and  administrators,  covenant  and 
grant  to  and  with  the  said  parties  of  the  second  part,  their  heirs  and 
assigns,  by  these  presents  that  they  the  said  parties  of  the  first  part 
have  not  nor  hath  either  of  them  done,  committed,  executed,  or  suf- 
fered or  caused  to  be  done,  committed,  executed,  or  suffered  any  act 
or  acts,  thing  or  things  whereby  the  hereby  granted  premises  or  any 
part  or  parcel  thereof  may  be  impounded,  defeated,  or  incumbered  in 
title,  charge,  estate,  or  otherwise;  And  the  said  Mary  Barclay  doth 
for  herself,  her  heirs,  executors,  and  administrators  covenant  and 
grant  to  and  with  the  said  parties  of  the  second  pnrt,  their  heirs  and 
assigns,  by  tliese  presents,  that  the  said  Mary  Barclay,  her  heirs,  and 
assigns  the  said  hereby  granted  premises  and  every  part  and  parcel 
thereof  with  the  appertainings  against  all  and  every  person  and  per- 
sons lawfully  claiming  or  that  shall  or  may  lawfully  claim  the  same 
by,  from,  or  under  any  person  or  persons  will  warrant  and  forever  by 
these  presents  defend.  In  witness  wiiereof  the  said  parlies  to  these 
presents  have  hereto  set  their  hands  and  seals  the  day  and  year  first 
above  written. 

"  Mary  x  Barclay,  Leonard  x  Lispexard, 

"Andrew  X  Barclay,     David  X  Clarksox."  ■ 

Indorsement  on  deed:   "  Mary  Barclay  and  others,  l 

to  y  Relense." 

Philip  Embury  and  others.  J 


Appendix  C.  419 

"  Received  on  the  day  and  year  within  mentioned  of  the  grantees 
within  mentioned  the  consideration  within  mentioned. 

"(TfiAt)    Thomas  Barclay,      Andrew  Barclay, 
"  Egbert  Bensox,        Leonard  Lispenard, 
"  Mary  Barclay,         David  Clarkson. 

"  Sealed  and  delivered  in  the  presence  of,  the  words  [now  being] 
and  [part]  being  first  interlined,  Thomas  Barclay, 

"  Egbert  Benson." 

"  City  of  Ntiu  York,  ss :  Be  it  remembered  that  on  the  fiftli  day  of 
April  in  tiie  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty- 
eight  personally  appeared  before  me,  William  Smith,  Esquire,  one  of 
his  majesty's  judges  ot  the  Supreme  Court  of  Judicature  for  the  Prov- 
ince of  New  York,  Egbert  Benson,  wiio,  being  duly  sworn,  deposed 
and  said,  that  he  saw  the  within  named  Mary  Barclay,  Leonard  Lis- 
penard,  Andrew  Barclay,  and  David  Clarkson  execute  the  within 
indenture  by  sealing  and  delivering  the  same  as  their  voluntary  act 
and  deed,  and  that  he,  the  deponent,  hath  signed  hia  name  as  a  wit- 
ness thereto  and  saw  Thomas  Barclay  sign  his  name  as  another  wit- 
ness, and  I,  having  inspected  the  same  and  finding  no  material  era- 
sures or  interlineations  therein  other  than  are  noted  on  the  back 
thereof,  do  allow  the  same  to  be  recorded.  William  Smith." 


APPENDIX  D. 

THE  SECOND  DEKD  OF  SALE.* 

"This  Indenture,  made  the  second  day  of  November,  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy,  in  tlie  eleventh 
year  of  the  reign  of  our  most  gracious  Sovereign  Lord,  George  the 
Third,  by  the  grace  of  God,  of  Great  Britain,  France,  and. Ireland, 
King,  Defender  of  the  Faith,  and  so  forth : 

"  Between  Joseph  Forbes,  of  the  City  of  New  York  in  North  Amer- 
ica, cordwainer,  of  the  one  part,  and  Richard  Boardraan  and  Joseph  Pil- 
moor,  ministers  of  the  Gospel ;  William  Lupton,  merchant;  Thomas 
Webb,  gentleman;  John  Soulhwell,  merchant;  Henry  Newton,  shop- 
keeper; and  James  Jarvis,  hatter,  all  of  the  said  city  of  New  York 
(trustees  appointed  for  the  uses  and  purposes  hereinafter  nieiuioned), 
of  the  other  pait: 


*  This  paper  is  in  the  hands  of  the  trustees  of  the  Eighteenth  Street  Church, 
New  York. 


420  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  Nkav  York  City. 

"  "Witnesseth,  that  tlic  said  Josepli  Forbes,  for  divers  good  and 
valuable  considerations  him  ihereunto  especially  moving,  and  also  for 
and  in  consideration  of  the  sum  of  ten  shillings  current  money  of  the 
province  of  New  York,  to  him  in  hand  well  and  truly  paid  by  the 
said  Richard  Boardman,  Joseph  Pilmoor,  William  Luptou,  Thomas 
Webb,  John  Southwell,  Henry  Newton,  and  James  Jarvis,  the  receipt 
whereof  he,  the  said  Joseph  Forbes,  doth  hereby  fully  acknowledge, 
luith  granted,  bargained,  sold,  aliened,  enfeoffed,  conveyed,  assured, 
and  coTifirmed,  and  by  these  presents  doth  grant,  bargain,  sell,  aliene, 
enfeoff,  convey,  assure,  release,  and  confirm  luito  the  said  Richard 
Boardman,  Josepli  P.lmoor,  WiUiam  Lupton,  Thomas  Webb,  John 
Soutiiwell,  Henrj'  Newton,  and  James  Jarvis  (in  their  actual  posses- 
sion now  bt-ing  by  virtue  of  a  bargain  and  sale  to  tiiem  tliereof,  made 
for  one  whole  year  by  indenture  of  lease,  bearing  date  the  day  next 
before  the  day  of  the  date  of  these  presents,  and  by  tlie  force  of  the 
statute  made  for  transferring  uses  into  possession),  and  to  their  iieirs 
and  assigns,  all  those,  two  certain  lots  of  ground  situate,  lying,  and 
being  in  the  city  of  Nesv  York  aforesaid,  and  distinguisiied  in  a  cer- 
tain map  or  chart  made  of  the  ground  of  the  late  Reverend  Doctor 
Henry  Barclay,  deceased,  by  lots  number  one  hundred  and  twelve 
and  numberone  hundred  and  thirteen,  which  said  lots  are  part'cularly 
described  in  a  certain  conveyance  made  tliereof  by  Mary  Barclay, 
widow  and  executrix  of  the  said  Doctor  Henry  Barclay,  reference  to  the 
said  conveyance  thereof  being  had,  will  fully  appear,  together  witli  the 
meeting-house  on  the  said  two  lots  of  ground  erected  and  built  for 
the  service  of  Almighty  God  after  the  manner  of  the  people  called 
Methodists.  And  also  all  other  erections,  buildings,  and  improve- 
ments, ways,  paths,  passages,  water,  water-courses,  lights,  easements, 
emoluments,  hereditaments,  and  appurtenances  to  the  said  two  lots  of 
ground,  meeting-house,  and  premises  belonging,  or  in  any  wise  apper- 
taining, and  the  reversion  and  reversions,  remainder  and  remainders, 
renis,  issues,  and  services  thereof,  and  of  every  part  thereof.  And 
also  all  the  estate,  right,  title,  interest,  possession,  property,  claim, 
and  demand  whatsoever  of  him,  the  said  Joseph  Forbes,  of,  in,  and  to 
tlie  same,  with  all  deeds,  evidences,  aud  writings  which  in  any  way 
or  maimer  relate  thereunto.  To  have  and  to  hold  the  said  two  lots 
of  ground,  meeting-house,  and  premises  hereinbefore  mentioned  and 
described,  and  hereby  granted  and  released,  with  all  and  every  the 
appurtenances,  unto  the  said  Richard  Boardman,  Joseph  Pilmoor, 
William  Lupton,  Tiiomas  Webb,  John  Southwell,  Henry  Newton, 
and  James  Jarvis,  their  heirs  and  assigns,   forever.     Nevertheless, 


Appendix   D.  421 

upon  special  trust  and  confidence,  and  to  the  intent  that  they  and 
the  survivors  of  them,  and  all  other  trustees  for  the  time  beiug,  do, 
and  shall  permit  John  Wesley,  late  of  Lincoln  College,  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Oxford,  cleric,  and  such  other  persons  as  he,  the  said  John 
Weslej',  shall  from  time  to  time  appoint,  and  at  all  times  during  liis 
natural  life,  and  no  other  person  or  persons,  to  have  and  enjoy  the 
free  use  and  benefit  of  the  said  meeting-house  and  premises.  That 
the  said  John  AVesley,  and  such  other  person  or  persons  as  he  shall 
from  time  to  time  appoint,  may  therein  preach  and  expound  God's 
holy  word;  and  after  his,  the  said  John  Wesley's  decease,  upon 
further  trust  and  confidence,  and  to  the  intent  that  the  said  trustees 
and  the  survivors  of  them,  and  the  trustees  for  the  time  being,  do 
and  shall  permit  Charles  Wesley,  late  of  Christ's  Church  College, 
Oxford,  clerk,  and  such  other  person  or  persons  as  he  shall  from 
time  to  time  appoint,  and  at  all  times  during  his  life,  and  no  other, 
to  have  and  enjoy  the  full  use  and  benefit  of  the  said  meeting- 
house and  premises  for  the  purposes  aforesaid;  and  after  the  decease 
of  the  survivors  of  the  said  Jolm  Wesley  and  Charles  Wesley,  then 
upon  further  trust  and  confidence  that  the  said  Richard  Board- 
man,  and  the  rest  of  the  hereinbefore  mentioned  trustees,  or  the 
major  part  of  them,  or  the  survivors  of  them,  and  the  major  part  of 
the  trustees  for  the  time  being,  shall,  and  from  time  to  time,  and  for- 
ever thereafter  will,  permit  such  person  or  persons  as  shall  be  ap- 
pointed at  the  yearly  Conference  of  the  people  called  Methodists  in 
London,  Bristol,  Leeds,  and  the  city  of  New  York  aforesaid,  and  no 
others,  to  liave  and  enjoy  the  said  premises  for  the  purposes  afore- 
said, provided  always  that  the  said  person  or  persons  so  from  time  to 
time  to  be  chosen  as  aforesaid,  preach  no  olher  doctrine  than  is  con- 
tained in  the  said  John  Wesley's  Notes  upon  the  New  Testament 
and  his  four  volumes  of  Sermons ;  and  upon  further  trust  and  con- 
fidence, that  as  often  as  any  of  the  trustees  hereby  appointed,  or  the 
trustees  for  the  time  being,  shall  die  or  cease  to  be  a  member  of  the 
society  commonly  called  Methodists,  the  rest  of  the  said  trustees 
hereby  appointed  or  of  the  trustees  for  the  time  being,  as  soon  as  con- 
veniently may  be,  shall  and  may  choose  another  trustee  or  trustees, 
in  order  to  keep  up  such  a  number  of  trustees  tliat  there  may  at  no 
time  hereafter  be  less  than  seven  nor  moi-e  than  nine.  And  tlie 
said  Joseph  Forbes  doth  by  these  presents  covenant,  promise,  and 
agree  to  and  with  the  said  Richard  Boardman,  and  the  rest  of  the 
trustees  hereby  appointed,  that  he  hath  not  done,  committed,  exe- 
cuted, or   suffered,  or  caused,  or   piocured   to  be  done,   committed, 


422  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

executed,  or  suffered,  any  act,  matter,  or  thing  whatsoever,  wliereby 
to  charge  or  encumber  tlie  said  premises  liereby  granted  and  released, 
either  in  title,  estate,  or  otherwise  howsoever. 

"  In  witness  whereof  the  said  Joseph  Forbes,  hath  hereunto  set  and 
affixed  his  hand  and  seal  the  day  and  year  first  above  written. 

"  Joseph  Forbes,     [r,.  s.] 
"  Sealed  and  delivered  in  the  presence  of  us, 

"  And'w  Gautier. 
"  Jno.  C.  Knapp. 
"  Received  the  day  and  year  first  within  written,  of  the  within  named 
Richard  Boardman,  and  the  rest  of  the  trustees  within  mentioned,  the 
sum  of  ten  shillings,  current  money  of  the  Province  of  New  York,  being 
the  full  consideration  money  within  mentioned.      Joseph  Fokbes. 
"Witness:  And'w  Gautier,  Jno.  C.  Knapp." 


APPENDIX   E. 

SUBSCRIBERS  TO  THH  FIRST  CHURCH. 

Dr.  Wakeley  has  given  sketches  of  some  of  these  subscribers,  and 
liis  example  is  worthy  of  imitation.  The  substance  of  what  he  says, 
and  whatever  else  can  be  learned,  will  be  stated  as  briefly  as  possible.* 

Notices  of  Captain  Thomas  Webb  and  the  Hicks  and  Hecks  will 
be  found  elsewhere.f  Captain  Webb,  it  will  be  observed,  stands  first 
and  with  tlie  largest  subscription,  £30.  He  also  closes  the  list  with 
£3  4s.,  ihe  interest  due  on  his  bond  for  money  lent  tlie  church. 
Paul  Heck  gives  £3  5,?.,  and  Jacob  Hick  £1. 

After  Captain  Webb,  William  Lupton  is  tlie  largest  subscriber,  giv- 
ing £20,  and  afterward  £10  more.  He  was  the  youngest  of  three 
brothers,  and  was  born  in  Crofstone,  Lancashire,  Eng.,  March 
11,  17'J8.  In  1753  he  came  to  America  as  quarter-master  in  the 
Filty-fifili  regiment  of  foot.  He  served  during  the  French  War  under 
Captain  Webb.  That  he  remained  in  America  is  due  probably  to  the 
charms  of  Miss  Joanna  Schuyler,  daughter  of  Brant  Schuyler,  a  rela- 
tive of  General  Schuyler.  On  the  31st  of  August,  1761,  tiie  Rev. 
John  Ritzman,  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  transformed  Miss 
Joanna  Schuyler  into  Mrs.  William  Lupton,  the  groom  being  about 
thirty-three  years  of  age,  the  bride  nineteen.  They  had  five  children. 
The  oldest,  Brant  Schuyler,  became  a  minister  of  the  Reformed  Dutch 

♦Unless  otherwise  specifled  Dr.  Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  etc.,  is  the  au- 
thority for  most  of  these  sketches.  +  S'ie  p.  23,  and  Appendix  A. 


Api'k>dix  K.  423 

Church,  and  died  in  1790.  The  name  of  Samuel,  another  son,  is  in 
the  "Old  Book,"  signed  to  a  receipt  for  monej' for  his  father.  He 
was  a  promising  young  mnn,  and  either  a  preacher  or  preparing  for  the 
work,  when  bj'  the  shifting  of  the  boom  of  a  sloop,  on  which  he  was 
sailing  on  the  Hudson  River,  he  was  knocked  overboard  and  drowned. 
This  was  on  June  8,  1789,  when  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age. 

Mrs.  Lupton  died  December  27,  1769,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven. 
On  October  19,  1770,  Mr.  Lupton  married  as  his  second  wife  Mrs. 
I51izabetli  Roosevelt,  tlis  dauglner  of  Lancaster  Sj'rns,  a  vestryman  of 
Trinity  Church.  Rev.  Mr.  Ogilvie,  assistant  rector  of  that  church, 
married  another  daughter  of  Mr.  Syms.  By  this  second  wife  Mr. 
Lupton  had  six  children.  Tiie  oldest,  William,  was  born  October 
12,  1771.  He  was  a  man  of  very  fine  talents,  and  after  a  life  spent 
sometimes  in  plenty  and  sometimes  in  poverty  died  in  peace  in  "Wis- 
consin, March  3,  1853. 

Mr.  Lupton  died  in  New  York  April  3,  1796,  and  was  buried  in  a 
vault  imder  John  Street  Church.  Of  ihat  vault  we  find  a  nmice  in  the 
'•Old  Book."  Under  date  of  1st  of  March,  1770,  we  read,  "  by  boards 
and  carpenters  work  for  the  door  of  mj-  vault,  which  Mr.  Embury  did 
not  separate  from  his  ace,  brot  in  £0  18s.  3tZ." 

Mr.  Lupton  was  a  little  less  than  si.x  feet  liigh,  of  massive  frame 
and  very  imposing  appearance.*  He  had  a  very  large  head,  which 
was  bald  in  his  later  years.  He  wore  a  red  velvet  cap,  and  ruffles 
around  his  wrists.  Some  of  the  old  Methodists  did  not  like  this;  it 
seemed  to  them  to  savor  too  much  of  conformity  to  the  world.  But  he 
was  very  much  set  in  his  way  and  somewhat  eccentric,  though  a  good 
man,  and  one  who  served  the  cause  of  God  noblj'  and  commanded 
great  respect.  He  had  the  habit  of  uttering  a  short  groan,  or  deep 
guttural  sound,  which  the  people  used  to  call  "  Lupton's  grunt."  f 

*  Miss  Mary  Snethen,  sister  of  Rev.  N.  Snethen,  lived  with  her  brother  in 
the  old  parsonage  in  John  Street  in  1805-6.  During  that  period  slie  went  into 
the  vault  under  the  church  and  saw  the  ooffln  of  Mr.  Lupton.  She  said  it  was 
the  largest  she  ever  saw. 

+  In  1817,  when  the  old  building  in  John  Street  was  taken  down,  the  vault 
where  the  body  of  Mr.  Lupton  lay  had  necessarily  to  be  disturbed.  Dr. 
William  Phoebus,  who  was  present  at  the  removal,  says  that  two  Irishmen 
were  employed  in  the  work.  They  had  just  taken  liuld  of  Mr.  Lupton's  coffin 
when  they  let  go  and  rushed  out  of  the  vault  greatly  terrified.  Dr.  Phoebus 
asked,  "What  is  the  matter?"  They  answered, "  We  heard  a  noise,  we  heard  a 
man  groan.''  "  Tut,  tut ! "  said  the  doctor ;  "  go  back  and  move  the  coffin ;  there 
is  nothing  there  that  will  harm  you."  Dr.  Phoebus  afterward  said,  "I  heard 
the  noise  distinctly,  and  I  recognized  Father  Lupton's  groan."— Wakeley's  Lo^t 
Chapters,  p.  331.  The  reader  must  explain  this  to  suit  himself. 
38 


424   A  History  of  Mkthodism  ix  New  York  City. 

Mr.  Luptoii  was  one  of  the  original  trustees,  a  merchant,  and  prob- 
ably the  most  wealthy  man  in  tlie  society.  For  several  years  he 
was  treasurer,  and  the  earlier  entries  in  t!)e  "  Old  Book  "  are  proba- 
bly in  liis  handwriting,  and  are  a  model  of  neatness  and  correctness. 
He  was  ready  to  advance  mone_y  for  the  use  of  the  churcli  when  nec- 
essary, as  is  proved  by  the  following  receipt : 

"Ileceived,  New  York,  December  0th,  1780,  of  the  Stewards  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  twenty-one  pounds,  for  one  year's  interest  due  the 
31st  of  August  last,  for  a  bond  of  three  himdred  and  fifty  pounds  at 
six  per  cent.     For  my  father,  William  Lupton. 

"£21.  Sam'l  LuPTOX." 

Tliis  is  in  the  "Old  Book,"  from  which  also  we  learn  that  as  late  as 
1791  the  church  still  owed  him  £350,  and  paid  the  interest  annually. 

In  the  earlier  directories  of  New  York  cily  William  Lupton  is  re- 
ported as  jiving  at  No.  22  John  Street.  TJiis  was  next  to  the  parsonage, 
which  was  No.  20,  and  it  is  said  that  the  property  is  yet,  or  was  a 
fe^v  years  ago,  owned  by  Judge  Samuel  E.  Jolinson,  of  Brooklyn,  to 
whon)  it  was  bequeathed  by  Peter  Roosevelt,  who  inherited  it  from 
his  stepfather,  Mr.  Lnpton.  While  Mr.  Lupton  occupied  it  a  fire  in 
the  neighborliood  put  the  cliurch  and  his  honje  in  peril.  The  firemen 
were  trj-ing  to  protect  the  liouse,  but  lie  told  them  to  save  tlie  cliurch 
first,  thus  proving  faitiiful  to  wliat  was  said  to  have  been  his  motto,  "  Tlie 
eluircli  first,  and  then  my  family."  At  the  dedication  of  a  church 
Bishop  Scott  once  pronounced  a  splendid  eulogium  on  William  Lup- 
ton and  the  motto  lie  adopted.  He  said:  "Mr.  Lupton's  motto  should 
be  that  of  every  child  of  God.  It  should  be  written  in  our  dwellings 
over  our  firesides;  it  should  be  written  upon  the  walls  of  our  houses 
of  worship  and  upon  our  shops,  stores,  and  offices,  and  especially 
should  it  be  written  upon  the  hearts  of  tlie  members  of  the  mystical 
body  of  Christ,  in  bold  capital  letters — The  Church  first  and  then 

MY  FAMILY."* 

Mr.  Lupton  was  a  loyalist,  and,  tliere  is  reason  to  believe,  left  the 
city  for  a  while  after  the  Britisli  army  evacuated  it,  but  returned 
in  1784.f 

Next  we  have  the  name  of  James  Jarvis,  witli  a  subscription  of 
£10,  to  which  he  afterward  added  another  £10.     Mr.  Jarvis  was  a 

♦A  copy  of  the  Sundaii  Service,  prepared  for  the  Methodists  of  North  Amer- 
ica, commonly  called  Mr.  "Wesley's  Prayer  Book,  which  once  belonged  to  Mr. 
Lupton,  was  afterward  in  the  possession  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Johnson,  rector 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  at  Jamaica,  L.  I.  Mrs.  McCabe,  of  White 
Plains  (see  note  p.  '^2),  has  a  piece  of  needle-work  said  to  be  by  the  hands  of 
Mrs.  Lupton.  +  Sabine's  History  of  the  Loualists. 


Ai'i'EXDix  E.  425 

Jiatter,  tliough  lie  seems  to  have  also  dealt  in  various  other  articles, 
as  did  the  New  York  merchants  generally  at  tiiat  time,  like  country 
store-keepers  of  the  present  day.*  He  supplied  Robert  Williams 
with  his  first  new  hat  in  America,  as  we  see  b}^  an  eniry  in  the  "  Old 
Book."  f  In  December  of  the  same  year,  shortly  after  Richard  Board- 
man  arrived,  he  also,  it  seems,  needed  a  new  liat,  which  no  doubt 
came  from  the  same  shop,  as  its  price  was  the  same. 

Mr.  Jarvis  succeeded  Mr.  Lupton  as  treasurer.  He  kept  the  ac- 
counts accurately  and  beautifully  until  1774.  Then  his  name  disap- 
pears, but  in  the  Mercury  of  November  14,  1774,  Mary,  widow  of 
James  Jarvis,  advertises  to  continue  the  hatter's  business.  He  died 
November  4,  1774,  at  8  A.  M.,  at  the  age  of  forty-two  years,  leaving 
a  widow  and  six  children.  Mr.  Asbury  was  with  him  in  his  last  hours 
and  attended  his  funeral,  and  next  Monday  met  the  class  which  Mr. 
Jarvis  used  to  lead.  He  says  he  "  found  much  love  among  them, 
and  by  general  consent  appointed  R.  S.  (Richard  Sause)  to  act  as 
their  leader."  \ 

Ciiarles  White  gave  £5.  He  and  R.  Sause  were  natives  of  Ireland, 
were  converted  there,  and  came  over  together  from  Dublin  at  the 
close  of  1766.  What  his  business  was  we  do  not  know,  but  we  find 
in  the  "Old  Book,"  "Received,  New  York,  6th  of  April,  1770,  of 
Mr.  Wm.  Lupton,  seven  pounds  5s.  Qd.  for  Branches  for  the  Metiiodist 
preaching-house.     £7  bs.  &d.  Ch,\rles  White." 

His  friend,  R.  Sause,  dealt  in  cutlery,  and  it  is  probable,  therefore, 
that  White  was  a  worker  or  dealer  in  metals.  He  was  one  of  the 
original  trustees,  was  treasurer  of  the  board  during  the  Revolutionary 
War,  and  at  its  close,  being  a  loyalist,  went  to  Nova  Scotia  with 
John  Mann.  It  seems,  however,  that  he  afterward  returned  to  the 
United  States  and  lived  near  Lexington,  Ky.  Bishop  Asbury,  in  his 
Journal  (May  13,  1790),  after  preaching  at  Lexington,  says,  "After 

dinner  I  rode  about  five  miles  in  company  with  poor  C W . 

Ah !  how  many  times  have  I  eaten  at  this  man's  table  in  New  York, 
and  now  he  is  without  property  and  without  grace  !  When  about  to 
part  I  asked  him  if  he  loved  God.  His  soul  was  in  his  eyes  ;  he  burst 
into  tears  and  could  scarcely  speak — '  he  did  not  love  God,  but  he 
desired  it.'"     Three  years  later,  April  29,  1793,  the  same  Journal 

*  He  advertises  in  the  New  York  Mercurii  of  January  7,  1771,  "  English 
sail-cloth,  gold  loops  and  buttons,  and  spermaceti  candles  sold  in  French 
Church  Street  "  (now  Pine,  between  Broadway  and  William  Street) ;  and  on 
December  16  of  the  same  year  he  and  Arthur  Jarvis  advertise  their  glass  and 
earthen  store,  between  Barling's  and  Beekman's  Slips,  in  the  Fly. 

+  See  p.  46.  $  Asbury's  Journal,  November  7,  1774. 


42G  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

says,  "  Rode  througli  the  rain  to  Lexington.  I  stepped  at  C.  AVliite's 
once  more.  0  that  God  may  lielp  liim  safe  to  glory  1  "  We  hear  no 
more  of  him,  but  these  words  of  tlie  bisliop  have  a  tone  of  hope. 
Let  us  trust  that  lie  has  found  liis  wish  I'ulfiUed.* 

Richard  Sause,  White's  fellow-immigrant,  was,  as  already  stated,  a 
native  of  Ireland,  was  converted  there,  and  came  over  at  the  close  of 
1766.  He  gave  £10  at  first,  and  afterward  £3  5s.  He  also  was 
treasurer  for  a  time.  With  him  Mr.  Boardman,  and  probably  the 
other  preachers,  made  tlieir  home  while  in  the  citj'.  In  the  "Old 
Book"  are  the  following  entries: 

"Jan.  30,  ]110.  To  cash  paid  Mr.  Sause  for  board  and  lode  Mr. 
Board",  £12. 

"  Ap.  24.    To  cash  paid  Mr.  Rich<i  Sause  for  preacher's  board,  £12."  f 

Mr.  Sause's  name  has  been  introduced  out  of  its  regular  order  in 
the  list,  as  it  seemed  appropriate  to  bring  him  in  close  connection 
with  his  old  associate.  They  appear  to  have  been  the  most  intimate 
friends  of  Mr.  Asbury  in  the  New  York  society,  going  with  him  fre- 
quently on  his  preaching  excursions  to  Long  Island  and  Westclies- 
ter  County,  as  we  learn  from  frequent  references  in  the  bishop's 
Journal.  From  the  same  source  it  appears  that  Asbury  did  not  har- 
monize as  well  with  Lupton  and  Newton  at  first,  though  afterward 
there  is  apparently  a  better  feeling.  Even  good  men  do  not  always 
agree  perfectly  in  judgment. 

Benjamin  Huget,  who  subscribed  £5,  was,  it  is  said,  a  grocer  and 
liquor-dealer  on  the  corner  of  Nassau  and  Fair  (now  Fulton)  Streets. 
He  was  an  assistant  alderman  and  a  loyalist.^ 

Christopher  Stimets  also  subscribed  £5.     He  was  an  alderman  in 

1763.  § 

Ohver  Delancy,  whose  subscription  is  £6  IDs.,  and  James  Delancy, 

*  Jonathan  P.  Hick,  late  of  Mount  Vernon,  N.  Y.,  says  that  Charles  White 
was  brother-in-law  to  his  Krandinother,  Hannah  (Dean)  Hick. 

+  His  name,  being  peculiar,  is  often  spelled  incorrectly,  as  Sauce,  Sourse,  Souse, 
etc.  A  fac-simile  of  his  signature  v/ill  be  found  in  Wakeley's  L<ist  Chapters, 
p.  86.  He  was  a  cutler,  and  in  the  Mercum,  a  newspaper  of  that  day,  are  a 
number  of  his  advertisements.  November  27,  1775,  he  has  for  sale  a  portrait 
of  John  Hancock,  Esq.  This  would  seem  to  indicate  a  leaning  to  the  patriotic 
side,  but  it  is  a  question  if  it  continued.  After  1783  his  name  disappears,  and 
it  is  probable  that  he  went  to  Nova  Scotia  with  his  friend  C.  White,  and  per- 
haps, after  that,  to  Encland.  In  a  letter  by  Mr.  Rankin  to  Mr.  J.  J.  Staples,  in 
reference  to  the  death  of  a  son.  Thomas  Staples,  at  Mr.  Rankin's  in  England, 
he  speaks  of  a  Mr.  Sause  as  assisting  in  the  care  of  the  young  man.    See  p.  446. 

$  Sabine's  HiMoni  of  the  LntinlMs. 

§  In  the  list  his  surname  is  written  In  darker  Ink,  and  apparently  by  a  differ- 
ent hand. 


Appendix  E.  427 

who  gave  £3  55.,  were  wealthy  and  aristocratic  loyalists,  owning  a 
large  piece  of  property  through  which  Delancey  Street  was  opened. 
James  was  a  son  of  the  lieutenant-governor  of  the  same  name,  who 
died  on  tlie  30th  of  July,  1760,  a  little  while  before  Embury  reached 
New  York.  Oliver  was  a  brother  of  the  lieutenant-governor,  "  and 
one  of  the  most  zealous  adherents  of  the  royalist  party.  At  the  close 
of  the  Revolution  his  estates,  as  well  as  those  of  his  nephew  James  " 
(in  which  the  site  of  the  Forsyth  Street  Churcli  was  included),  "  were 
confiscated  and  he  went  to  England,  where  lie  died  leaving  numerous 
descendants."  * 

We  read  the  name  of  John  Crugar  for  £5,  and  afterward  that  of 
John  Maris  Crugar  for  £0  19s.  6d.  Dr.  Wakeley  seems  to  regard 
them  as  intended  for  the  same  person,  but  iiere  he  is  probably  in 
error.  One  John  Cruger  was  mayor  of  the  city  from  1739  to  1744, 
holding  that  office  during  the  celebrated  Negro  plot  of  1741.  His 
son,  who  was  known  as  John  Cruger,  Jr.,  was  probably  the  sub- 
scriber of  £5,  and  was  also  mayor  from  1757  to  1766.  He  was,  at 
least  for  a  time,  in  sympathy  with  the  people.  He  boldly  withstood 
the  British  officials  in  tlieir  attempts  to  quarter  troops  on  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  city;  was  a  delegate  to  the  lirst  colonial  Congress,  and 
acted  with  R.  R.  Livingston  and  otiiers  in  behalf  of  the  people  in 
the  controversy  about  the  stamps  in  1765.  John  Haris  Cruger,  his 
nephew,  was  chamberlain  of  the  city  at  the  beginning  of  the  Revolu- 
tion. He  entered  the  royal  army  in  1777,  and  performed  much  re- 
sponsible duty  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  but  does  not  seem  to 
have  been  as  bitter  a  partisan  as  some  of  his  fellow-loyalists.  His 
property,  however,  was  confiscated,  and  he  died  in  London  in  1807, 
aged  sixty-nine. f 

The  Mr.  Althorp  who  subscribed  £3  5s.  Od.  should,  no  doubt,  bo 
A-pthorpe,  the  name  of  a  family  which  owned  a  fine  mansion  on  the 
Bh)omingdale  road.ij:  It  was  here  that  after  the  battle  of  Long  Island 
Washington  waited  for  some  of  his  retreating  troops,  leaving  only 
fifteen  minutes  before  the  arrival  of  the  British  force.  § 

The  names  of  several  of  the  clergy  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  as  well 
as  of  the  laity,  will  be  found  in  this  list.  No  doubt  tlieir  liberality 
was  partly  due  to  tlie  fact  that  the  Methodists  were  regarded  as  con- 

*  Booth's  History  o/  Xew  York,  p.  542. 
t Sabine's  Histmij  of  the  LoyalMfi,  vol.  i,  p.  343. 

i  Lamb's  History  o)  New  York,  vol.  li,  p.  T-").    It  was  standing  near  Ninth 
Avenue  and  Ninety-first  Street  until  1S9D,  wtien  it  was  taken  down. 
8  ^ooVa's  HMory  of  Ne w  York,  p.  TtM. 


428  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

iiected  with  the  Church  of  England,  and,  until  1784.  were  accustomed 
to  receive  the  communion  at  her  altars.  But  none  the  less  should 
we  recognize  their  gifts  and  remember  their  names  with  gratitude. 

Dr.  Samuel  Auchinuty  gave  £2.  He  was  rector  of  Trinity  Church, 
succeeding  the  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Barclay.  For  nearly  thirty  years  he 
ministered  to  that  charge  and  was  greatly  beloved.  He  died  in  New 
York  Mareli  4,  1777.  Like  most  clergymen  of  the  Churcli  of  England, 
he  was  a  decided  loyalist. 

Rev.  Jolui  Ogilvie  (not  Ogvi-lsvie),  who  was  Dr.  Auchmuty's  assist- 
ant, subscribed  £1  125.  Gd.  He  was  a  man  of  uiui<ual  excellence,  a 
graduate  of  Yale  College,  and  an  eloquent  preacher.  He  could 
preach  in  the  Dutch  language,  and  was  for  some  time  missionar}- 
among  the  Mohawk  Indians.  His  wife,  as  has  alreadv  been  staled, 
was  a  sister  of  the  second  Mrs.  Lupton.  He  was  smitten  with  apo- 
plexy in  tlie  pulpit,  and  died  a  few  days  after  (November  26,  1774). 
at  the  age  of  fifty-one.  A  portrait  of  him  by  Copley  is  in  the  vestry 
oBBce  of  Trinity  Church. 

Tlien  we  have  Rev.  Mr.  English  as  a  subscriber  to  the  same ' 
amount.  This  was,  evidently,  the  Rev.  Charles  Inglis,  who  was  also 
assistant  to  Dr.  Auchmuty,  and  succeeded  him  as  rector  of  Trinity 
Cliurch  in  177^.  He  resigned  November  1,  1783.  It  was  he  to 
whom  General  Washington,  when  in  possession  of  the  city  in  1776, 
sent  a  message,  stating  that  he  "  expected  to  be  at  church  on  such  a 
Sabbath,  and  should  be  glad  if  the  violent  prayers  for  the  king  and 
royal  family  were  omitted  on  that  occasion."  Mr.  Inglis  paid  no  re- 
gard to  the  request,  but  prayed  in  the  usual  form.  He  made  himself 
peculiarly  offensive  to  all  who  favored  the  cause  of  the  colonies,  and, 
on  the  return  of  peace,  went,  with  some  royalists  of  his  congrega- 
tion, to  Annapolis,  Nova  Scotia.  He  was  consecrated  bishop  of  that 
province  August  12,  1787,  and  died  in  1816,  aged  eighty-two  years. 

Grove  Bend,  who  subscribed  £3  5s.,  was  a  vestryman  of  Trini'y 
Church  from  1773  to  1778.  In  the  Directory  of  1786  he  is  put  down 
as  a  shop-keeper  at  16  Smith  Street.* 

Of  John  Crook,  who  gave  the  same  amount,  we  know  nothing  ex- 
cept that  in  the  "Old  Book"  we  read,  "1773,  Nov.  2.  To  cash 
paid  Mr.  John  Crook,  a  draft  in  his  favor  by  Mr.  Webb,  being  for  in- 
terest due  on  his  bond,  £9  16s.  OcV  In  the  same  book,  in  the  list  of 
furniture  given  for  the  preacher's  house,  we  find  "three  table-clolhs 
and  two  towels  and  two  pillow-cases"  put  to  the  credit  of  Mrs.  J. 

*  EiUier  Cedar  Street  or  William  Street,  between  Maiden  Lane  and  Hanover 
Square. 


Appendix  E.  429 

Crook.  Mr.  Pilmore,  in  his  Journal,  June  6,  1770,  speaks  of  going  to 
Harlem  with  Mr.  Crooke.* 

The  name  of  Paul  Heck  (not  Hick  as  it  is  printed  in  Dr.  Wakeley's 
volume)  stands  next  as  a  subscriber  also  for  £3  55. f 

Joseph  Pearson,  wlio  gave  £3  2.s.,  may  have  been  of  the  firm  of 
Pearson  &  Minthorne,  to  whom,  on  April  24,  1770,  15  shillings  was 
paid  for  lamps.:j: 

Gose  Courtland  gives  £2  18s.  In  the  Directory  of  1 786  we  read  G. 
Courtland  &  Co.,  iron-mongers,  42  Dock  Street  (now  Pearl  Street,  be- 
tween Whitehall  Street  and  Hanover  Square). 

Mr.  Graliara  gave  £1  lO.s.  A  Joseph  Graham,  and  Hannah  liis 
wife,  were  among  the  members  of  the  little  flock  at  Bowery  Village, 
now  Seventh  Street,  about  the  close  of  the  last  century.  Perhaps 
this  was  a  sou  of  the  donor  liere  named. ^ 

James  Jauncey.  who  subscribed  £4  13s.,  was  a  prominent  roy- 
alist, though  at  first  he  seemed  inclined  to  take  the  side  of  the  people. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly.  He  afterwaid  went  to  London, 
where  he  was  well  known  for  the  practice  of  relieving  the  poor  at  the 
chapel  doors  and  in  the  streets.  He  died  suddenly  at  tlie  door  of  the 
Providence  Chapel,  London,  leaving  property  worth  £100,000. 

The  next  name  is  that  of  a  prominent  member  of  the  society,  one 
of  the  original  trustees,  and,  next  to  Mr.  Lnpton,  perhaps  the  most  in- 
fluential. He  gives  £3  5s.,  but,  unlike  his  brethren,  ho  is  credited  with 
no  second  subscnption.  It  may  be  suspected,  however,  that  when 
we  read  farther  down  the  list  Henry  Newton  More  we  arc  to  imder- 
stand  it  not  as  the  name  of  another  person,  but  that  the  word  7nore 
is  intended  to  indicate  an  additional  subscription  from  Henry  Newton. 
And  this  seems  the  more  probable  as  the  amount  of  the  second  sub- 
scription, £G  15s.,  makes,  with  that  of  the  first,  the  round  sum  of  £10. 
He  also  lent  money  to  the  trustees,  for  which  he  received  a  bond. 
He  was  ilie  principal  collector  of  the  subscriptions,  and  treasurer 
from  1786  to  1796.  Among  the  receipts  to  wiiich  his  name  is  signed 
is  the  following,  which  sounds  strangely  to  ns: 

"  Rec.  New  York,  4th  of  September,  1769,  of  Mr.  Wm.  Lupton  fif- 
teen pounds  three  shillings  and  one  penny  for  candles  for  the  house 
and  rum  to  worl<man.     £15  3s.  Id.  Henry  Newtox." 

*  Methodist,  vol.  xx.  No.  43,  p.  6. 

+  Farther  on  we  liave  Jacob  Hick  for  £1.  There  the  letter  looks  more  like 
an  i,  though  there  is  no  dit  over  il.  Of  the  Hecks  and  Hicks,  for  what  can  be 
definitely  learned  see  Appendix  A. 

t  "Old  Book."  §  Wakeley's   Lost  Chapters,  p.  5-2?,. 


430  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

But  then,  and  for  many  years  after,  in  work  or  amusement,  joy  or 
sorrow,  winter  or  summer,  intoxicating  drink  vvas  tliought  to  be 
necessiiry. 

Mr.  Newton  was  a  bachelor  and  familiarly  known  as  Harry  New- 
ton. In  the  deed  of  the  land  he  is  called  a  shop-keeper.  He  was  a 
man  of  considerable  iiiHuence  and  property,  one  of  the  original  stock- 
holders of  the  Bank  of  New  York,  the  oldest  bank  in  the  city,  hold- 
ing two  shares  of  $500  each.*  He  attended  the  old  church  in  John 
Siret-r,,  until  the  building  of  ihe  new  one  in  Second  (now  Forsyth) Street. 
He  and  Mrs.  Courtney',  an  English  lady  of  vveaitli,  with  whom  he 
boarded,  occupied  a  pew  in  the  south-east  corner  of  the  chi.rch, 
known  as  the  high-back  pew,  being  the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  tJiu 
house.  It  had  a  very  high  back  and  a  crimson  cusliion.  Mr.  New- 
ton died  many  years  aj,o,  and  was  buried  in  the  church-yard  at 
Forsyth  Stn  er.-j- 

Mary  Newton,  whose  name  stands  farther  down  the  list  as  a  stil)- 
scriber  of  £1,  is  probably  the  Mrs.  Newton  wiio  afterward  gave 
crockery  for  the  preaclier's  house.  She  may  have  been,'  as  Dr. 
Wakelev  surmises,  the  mother  or  sister  of  Henry  Nev/ton. 

The  Mr.  Moral  who  subscribed  £1  12s.  6d.  Dr.  Wakcley  supposes 
to  be  Jonathan  Morrell.  He  was  a  man  of  some  property  and  intiu- 
ence,  and  his  wife  was  a  member  of  the  first  class  formed  by  Embury. 
Thomas  Morrell,  afterward  a  preacher  in  the  city,  was  their  son. 

Isaac  Sebring,  whose  subscription  was  eight  shillings,  was  a  sol- 
dier of  the  Revolution,  and  was  at  the  battle  of  Long  Island.  "Witli 
Theodosius  Van  W3'ck,  named  below,  he  formed  the  firm  of  Sebring 
&  Van  Wyck.  He  was  a  leading  federalist,  and  got  up  the  subscrip- 
tion to  build  Washington  Hall,  which  covered  most  of  the  ground 
on  the  east  side  of  Broad\va\  between  Chambers  and  Reade  Streets, 
afterward  occupied  by  Stewart's  dry-goods  store.  He  tinally  be- 
came very  poor.     He  was  an  elder  in  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church.:}: 

Six  shillino:s  and  sixpence  is  the  subscription  of  Whitehead  Cornal 
(or  rather  Cornell).  He  was  a  butcher  living  in  Brooklyn,  and  a  loy- 
alist, who,  after  the  war,  went  to  Nova  Scotia,  but  returned  in  n84.§ 

Of  Lambert  Garrison,  who  gave  ten  shil  ings,  all  we  know  is  that 
he  was  a  merchant  and  connected  with  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.|| 

*  Histoni  of  the  Bank  of  New  York,  p.  137. 

+  Dr.  Wakeley  says  he  was  the  first  steward,  but  Ashiiry"s  Journal  (Septem- 
ber 11,  1772)  seems  to  g^ive  that  honor  to  Mr.  C.  (John  CliaveK    See  p.  60. 
i  Old  Merchant!!  of  New  Ynrh,  vol.  iii.  pp.  16.  18.  30. 
§  Hist.  Magcizhic,  1867,  p.  201.      II  ( Immhcr  of  Commerce  Memorial,  p.  47. 


Appendix  E.  431 

Edward  Liglit  no  doubt  should  bo  Edward  Laight.  He  gave  £1. 
He  was  a  vestryman  of  Trinity  Church  from  1762  to  1784.  He  was 
one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty,  an  association  for  the  pro- 
tectiim  of  the  people's  rights.  Laight  Street  was  named  alter  this 
family. 

Then  we  have  Peter  R.  Levingston  for  £2,  and  afterward  Philip 
Levingstoii  for  sixteen  shillings  and  threepence.  The  Livingston 
family  descended  from  the  Rev.  John  Livingston,  a  Scotch  dissenting 
minister,  and  became  prominent  in  the  history  of  New  York.  Philip 
was  a  leader  of  the  Revolutionary  party  and  a  signer  of  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence.  He  died  June  12,  1788,  aged  sixty-two.  Peter 
was,  perhaps,  his  brother,  a  mercliant  in  the  city.  Their  cousin,  Robert 
R.,  afterward  tlie  first  chancellor  of  the  State  of  New  York,  was 
the  father  of  Calliarine,  wife  of  tlie  Rev.  Freeborn  Garrettson. 

We  have  the  name  of  James  Boatman  for  si.xteen  shillings  and 
threepence,  and  afterward  that  of  Garret  Boatman  for  £1.  It  is  likely 
that  for  Beatman  we  should  read  Beekman.  The  family  was  promi- 
nent among  the  citizens  of  New  York,  giving  its  name  to  Beekman 
Street.  Gerard  W.  (who  would  be  called  Garret)  and  James  were 
among  its  leprescntativesat  that  time.  James,  in  1763,  built  a  man- 
sion, which  was  still  standing  in  1874,  iiear  the  corner  of  Fifty-tirst 
Street  and  First  Avenue.*  Gerard  lived  at  the  corner  of  Hanover 
Square  and  Sloat  Lane  f  (now  Beaver  Sireet). 

Of  James  Peters,  who  gave  ten  shillings,  we  only  know  that,  after 
the  war,  he  went  to  New  Brunswick. | 

Abr'raMountany  subscribed  eight  shillings.  Inthe  Directory  of  1786 
we  find  that  to  be  the  name  of  a  brass-founder  at  13  King  (now  Pine) 
Street.  A  "  Montague,"  however,  wiiose  first  name  seems  to  have 
been  Abram,  kept  a  tavern  in  Broadway,  near  Murray  Street,  which 
was  the  head-quarters  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty  during  the  Revolution- 
ary agitation. § 

There  are  two  joint,  or  partnership,  subscriptions.  One  is  that  of 
Thompson  &  Selby  for  eight  shillings.  ||  Afterward  we  have  the  name 
of  Samuel  Selby  for  £10.  Asbury  in  his  Journal,  under  date  of  April 
23,  1780,  writes,  apparently  at  Mr.  Gough's  in  Maryland:  "Met 
Brother  Selby,  whom  I  have  not  seen  for  near  six  years,  one  of  my 
old  friends  from  New  York,  driven  about  by  the  commotion  of  the 
present  times;  he,  with  great  joy,  fell  upon  my  neck  and  wept." 

*  See  p.  352.  t  Lamb's  HMoru  of  New  York  City,  vol.  i,  pp.  569,  7.59. 

:?  Sabine's  Hint,  offhe  TjOiinlixtn.         S  Booth's  HM.of  New  Yor't,  p.  417. 
II  Tliey  were  saddlers,  as  we  learn  from  advertisements  of  the  period. 


4:32  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

New  York  was  tlieu  occupied  by  British  troops,  and  Selby,  it  seems, 
was  not  comfortnbie,  perliaps  not  safe,  there.  In  1773,  during  the 
excitement  preceding  tlie  Revohition,  when  Boardman,  Pihnore,  Webb, 
and  Soutliwell  had  left,  he  was  chosen  to  fill  one  of  the  vacancies  in 
the  board  of  trustees.* 

Four  subscriptions  stand  to  the  name  of  Rhilander,  namely,  "Will- 
iam Rhilander,  £1;  Mr.  Rhilander,  sixteen  shillings,  and  William 
again,  £1,  and  Benjamin  and  William,  £1.  They  contribute  altogether 
nearly  £4,  and  certainly  deserve  at  least  to  be  called  by  their  right 
name.  It  should  be  Rhinclander ;  but  all  that  can  be  said  besides  is 
that  a  William  Rhinclander  subscribed  for  one  share  of  Tontine  stock 
in  1794.f 

Captain  Davis  subscribed  ten  shillings.  In  Holt's  New  York  Ga- 
zette and  Weekly  Post- Boy,  October  24,  1765,  we  read:  "On  Tuesday 
evening  (October  22)  arrived  the  ship  Edivard,  Captain  William  Davis, 
in  nine  weeks  from  London,  and  six  weeks  and  three  days  from 
Falmouth.  .  .  .  Captain  Davis,  who  brought  us  last  voyage  the  news 
that  the  Stamp  Act  was  passed,  has  brought  the  stamps  themselves, 
intended  to  enslave  us."     Was  this  the  man  ? 

Rachel  gave  nine  siiillings,  and  Margaret  seven.  What  othernames 
tiiey  had,  if  any,  we  are  not  told.  They  were  probably  colored 
women,  and,  from  some  entries  in  the  "Old  Book,"  appear  to  have 
been  afterward  hired  to  take  care  of  the  preacher's  house,  for  which 
they  received  wages.  Perhaps,  tiiough  the  amount  they  subscribed 
was  little,  the  good  Master,  who  saw  their  gift  cast  into  the  treasury, 
said,  "  Tliey  have  cast  in  more  than  they  all,"  and  their  names,  though 
like  that  of  the  poor  widow,  not  known  on  earth,  will  be  remembered 
by  him,  Rachel  as  a  ewe  of  the  flock  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  and  Mar- 
garet as  a  precious  pearl  among  the  jewels  of  the  King.  ^ 

Mrs.  Deverix  gave  eight  shillings.  This,  as  we  have  said,  should 
be  Devereux.  Her  husband  was,  it  is  believed,  the  captain  of  a 
vessel. § 

William  Eustick  (or  Ustick),  whose  gift  was  £1,  advertises  m  the 
Mercury  of  October  5,  1767,  as  an  "Iron-monger,  at  the  sign  of  the 
Lock  and  Key,  between  Burling's  and  Bcekman's  Slips."  October  15, 
1785,  tlie  church  paid  him  75.  Gd.  for  nails.  Bisiiop  Henry  Ustick 
Onderdonk,  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  derived  his  second 
name  from  the  family,  to  whom  he  was  related  on  the  side  of  his 
mother.     They  were  said  to  be  inveterate  foes  to  American  freedom. 

*  See  p.  68.  +  0/rf  Merchants  of  New  Yorlu  vol.  lii,  p.  224. 

t  Rachel  means  e've,  and  Margaret  a  pearl.  §  See  p.  22,  note. 


Appendix  E,  433 

Henry  Van  Yleck  gave  £2  from  the  earnings  of  bis  ships.  He 
was  part  owner  of  a  line  of  vessels  to  London,  among  wliicli  was 
the  Snoiv  Mercury,  of  which  Captain  Cornelius  Haight  was  master, 
who  was  probably  the  Captain  Heclit  who  gave  £3  4s.  Tiie  Haight 
family  was  prominent  in  New  York  and  Westchester  County.* 

Dr.  Beard  subscribes  £1  10s.  Tliis  was  probably  Dr.  Bard,  a 
prominent  physician  of  the  time,  who,  with  Drs.  Middieton  and  Jones, 
originated  the  New  York  Hospital.f  Drs.  Bard  and  Middieton  are 
also  said  to  have  been  the  first  who  dissected  a  human  body  in  Xew 
York,  the  subject  being  a  criminal. :|: 

Besides  Racliel  and  Margaret,  already  referred  to,  some  thirty  other 
names  of  maids,  wives,  or  widows  are  to  be  found  ou  the  list.  Ne.xt  to 
tlie  largest  subscriber  among  them  is  Mrs.  Lispenard,  for  £2  lOs.  M. 
Dr.  Wakeley  is  probably  right  in  saying  that  this  was  Mrs.  Leonard 
Lispenard,  tliough  I  do  not  know  on  wliat  authority.  The  Lispenards 
were  a  Frencli  flimih-,  and  Mr.  Leonard  Lispenard  owned  a  farm  e.x- 
tending  from  vrhat  is  now  Centre  Street  to  the  North  River,  through 
which  Canal  Street  now  runs.  A  part  of  it  was  famous  as  the  Lis- 
penard Meadows,  of  which  a  view  has  often  been  published.  Lispen- 
ard Street  was  within  its  limits.  In  the  lease  he  is  named  as  the 
owner  of  land  adjoining  tlie  plot  obtained  by  the  church.  He  was 
one  of  the  "  Sons  of  Liberty,"  and  a  delegate  to  the  first  colonial 
Congress.^     He  loaned  to  the  trustees  £600  on  a  mortgage.  || 

David  Clarkson,  who  was  one  of  tlie  signers  of  the  Iea.se  of  the  land 
on  whicii  the  churcli  was  built,  gave  £1.  He  also  was  of  a  family  of 
propertv-owners  whicli  gave  its  name  to  one  of  the  streets.  He  was 
a  vestryman  of  Trinity  Church  for  eighteen  years.  He  seems  to  have 
been  a  sturdy  advocate  of  tlie  rights  of  the  people.^  His  brother 
Matthew  was  a  popular  officer  of  the  American  army.** 

Thomas  Bell,  who  gave  £1,  was  probably  the  author  of  the  letter 
which  Dr.  Wakeley  gives  from  the  Arminian  Magazine.\\ 

A  little  farther  on,  right  after  the  subscription  of  Mrs.  Buller,  we 
have  that  of  Mrs.  Bell  for  eight  shillings.  She  may  have  been  the 
wife  of  Thomas  Bell.JJ 

*  Old  Merchants  of  New  York,  vol.  iii,  p.  182,  etc. 
+  Lamb's  History  of  New  York,  vol.  i,  p.  761. 
i  Historical  Magazine,  1850,  p.  97. 

§  Booth's  History  of  New  York,  pp.  413, 477 ;  Lamb's  History  of  New  York, 
vol.  1,  p.  223.  II  "  Old  Book,"  May  29.  1773. 

TI  Lamb's  History  of  New  York,  vol.  11,  passim. 
**  Ibid.,  vol.  li,  pp.  101, 103. 
++  See  Appendi.x  G.  tt  Dr.  Wakeley  has  overlooked  this  name. 


434  A  IIisTOiiY  OF  Methodism  in  Nkw  Yokk  City, 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Nizer  who  gave  sixteen  shiJliugs  was  undoubtedly 
tlie  pastor  of  the  Moravian  Church  in  the  city,  as  we  learn  that  a 
liev.  (Jr.  Neiser  held  that  position  IVom  1765  to  1775.*  Among  the 
names  of  the  Palatines  who  settled  on  Lord  Southwell's  estate  in 
Ireland  in  1709  we  have  that  of  Neizer.f  He  may  liave  been  an  old 
acquaintance  of  some  of  the  Methodist  families. 

A.  Beuinger  gave  £1.  All  tliat  Dr.  Wakeley  tells  us  of  him  is  thnt 
lie  was  well  acquainted  witli  Philip  Emburv,  and  used  to  relate  many 
characteristic  anecdotes  of  him.  If,  however,  the  author  of  Old  Mer- 
chants of  Neiu  York  is  to  be  relied  on  this  Beninger  (or  Bininger)  fam- 
ily liad  a  very  close  relation  to  tlie  founders  of  Methodism  in  the 
United  States.  He  says::]:  "Christian  Bininger,  witii  his  wife  and 
son  Abraham,  came  to  Savannah  in  the  vessel  witii  J.  Wesley. 
Within  two  days'  sail  of  port  Christian  and  his  wife  died.  Abraham 
was  educated  in  Wliitefield's  orphan  house,  Savann  ih.  A  large  com- 
pany of  Morav'ans  had  settled  in  that  city.  Tliey  afterward  came 
north  to  Philadclpliin,  and  carried  young  Bininger  with  them.  Tiiey 
settled  at  Nazaretii,  near  Beililehem,  Pa.  Young  Abraham  Bininger 
was  educated  in  the  Moravian  faitli,  with  the  intention  of  becoming  a 
preacher.  When  of  age  he  settled  at  Christian  Spring,  a  mile  from 
Nazaretli,  and  there  began  preaching.  At  the  same  time  he  married 
and  Ijecam?  tiie  father  of  four  sons.  He  went  as  a  missionary  to  St. 
Thomas,  in  the  West  Indies.  There  he  was  told  that  'none  but 
slaves  were  allowed  to  preach  to  slaves.'  He  forthwith  sent  a  letter 
to  the  governor  of  St.  Thomas  offering  to  become  a  slave  in  order  to 
save  the  souls  of  the  Negroes.  His  letter  was  transmitted  to  the 
King  of  Denmark,  who,  to  show  his  appreciation  of  such  devotion, 
gave  him  permission  to  preach  to  any  class  in  St.  Thomas.  On  liis 
return  from  the  West  Indies  he  went  as  a  missionary  to  the  Indians. 
He  came  to  New  York  the  year  of  Embury's  arrival.  He  went  with 
Embury  to  Salem,  took  up  a  large  quantity  of  land  there,  and  erected 
a  Camily  mansion,  afterward  in  possession  of  A.  M.  Bininger,  of  New 
York,  his  grandson.  In  1760  Abraham,  the  eldest  son,  came  to  Now 
York  to  begin  his  apprenticeship  as  tanner  and  leather-dresser  in  the 
Swamp.  He  served  seven  years,  but  did  not  like  the  business.  He 
tlien  commenced  getting  his  1  ving  bj-  day's  work.  Peter  Embury,  a 
nepliew  of  Piiilip,  was  learning  cliair-making.  Peter  had  a  sister, 
Kate,  who  married  X.  Biningei-.  Kate  was  a  beautiful,  buxom 
girl,  and  as  smart  as  a  steel-trap.     Slie  soon   discovered  that  it  was 

*  Greenleaf's  Hintory  of  the  Churches  in  New  York,  p.  279. 

+  Cro'ik'a  Ircla}ul  and  American  Mcthodifun,  p.  26.  $  Vcl.  i,  p.  144. 


Appendix  E.  435 

up-hill  work  to  support  a  faiuily  ou  the  earnings  of  a  day -laborer, 
aim  she  proposed  to  ussist  by  taking  in  washing  and  ironing.  She 
then  bought  a  table  to  stand  outside  of  the  door  and  supplied  it  wiih 
cakes  and  sugar-plums,  and  wlnle  she  was  working  she  could  keep 
iier  eye  on  it.  Tlien  cabbages,  potatoes,  fruits,  tobacco,  snuff,  and, 
hnallr,  a  few  groceries  were  added.  Tliis  was  the  foundation  of  the 
great  Bininger  grocery  house."*  When  Peter  Embury,  his  brother- 
in-law,  built  liis  store  in  Beekman  Street  Abraham  carried  the  hod. 
After  a  while  he  bought  a  horse  and  cart.  Meanwhile  his  grocery 
prospered.  Isaac,  Iiis  brother,  lived  with  the  old  people  at  Camden 
Valley.  He  opened  a  .store  there  which  afterward  became  the  greatest 
between  Albany  and  Montreal,  and  a  wonder  to  the  public.  Rev.  Dr. 
Matthews,  once  pastor  of  the  Garden  Street  Dutch  Reformed  Churcii 
arid  chancellor  of  the  New  York  University,  said  that  the  great  event 
of  Ills  boy-life  was  when  he  was  dressed  up  in  clouded  stockings  and 
rode  five  miles  from  home  on  a  load  of  wheat  to  see  the  great  store 
of  Bininger.  Isaac  sent  to  New  York  for  Abraham  to  come  and  join 
him.  He  went,  leaving  Kate  in  charge  of  the  shop  in  Augustus 
Streetf  At  length  it  was  decided  that  Abraham  should  come  back 
to  New  York  and  sell  or  barter  away  the  produce,  potash,  etc.,  and 
buy  return  goods.  It  was  a  journey  of  two  weeks.  After  a  few  years 
tliey  dissolved,  and  Abraham  opened  a  small  grocery  in  Maiden  Lane 
and  prospered."  Perhaps  tliis  same  smart  Kate  was  the  Mrs.  Ben- 
inger  who  lent  "  one  green  window-curtain  "  for  the  preacher's  liouse ; 
and  when  we  read  in  tliR  "  Old  Book,"  1770,  June  12,  "To  cash  laid 
out  by  Mr.  Newton  and  Mrs.  Bininger  for  the  preacher's  house-keep- 
ing, £5  13s.  5c?.,"  it  may  be  that  at  least  a  part  of  it  was  for  goods 
purchased  at  her  store. 

Abraham  Bininger,  Sen.,  it  is  said,  became  disgusted  with  the  Mo- 
ravians, having  witnessed  scenes  such  as  are  related  by  Jolin  Wes- 
ley.|:  He  left  them,  but  never  joined  the  Methodists,  tliough  his  wife 
did.  He  and  Embury  were  the  leaders  of  the  band  which  moved  to 
Camden. §  He  attended  Embury  on  his  death-bed,  ||  officiated  at  hi.s 
funeral,  gave  him  a  grave  on  his   ground,^  and  died  at  the  age  of 

*  In  several  of  the  earlier  Directories  we  find  his  name,  sometimes  as  a 
"Windsor  chair-maker  and  sometimes  as  a  grocer. 

t  This  was  Barracks  Street,  now  City  Hall  Place,  where  Philip  Embur.v's  housft 
was.    In  the  Directory  of  1789  we  have  A.  Bininger,  grocer,  14  Augustus  Street. 

$  ^y es\py' a  Journal .  February  10, 1744,  and  December  22,  1751. 

§  Letter  of  Rev.  P.  P.  Harrower,  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxxiil,  p.  76. 

II  Crook's  Ireland  and  American  Methodism,  p.  133. 

"i  The  Methodlft,  vol.  vii,  p.  329. 


436  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

ninety-one.*  The  name  of  Bininger  was  for  a  long  time  associated 
with  tliat  of  a  celebrated  brand  of  gin.  The  Abraham  Bininger  who 
carried  on  this  business  died  in  New  York,  October  14,  1870,  having 
accumulated  .some  $250,000. 

Tiie  Nancy  Crosfill  who  subscribed  £1  '.vas  probably  the  Mrs.  Cros- 
field  who  gave  two  table-cloths  for  the  preacher's  house.  She,  or  her 
liusband,  also  lent  the  church  at  least  £100  on  bond.f  We  learn 
also  that  Ann  Crossfield  (probably  the  same  person)  "  departed  this 
life  in  triumph  of  faith,  Friday,  December  16,  1785."  J 

Thomas  Taylor,  who  gave  £1,  had  been  a  Methodist  in  England, 
and  reached  New  York  October  26,  1767.  About  six  months  after 
he  wrote  a  letter  to  Mr.  We-sley.  (See  Appendix  F.)  He  was  one  of 
those  to  whom  the  lease  was  given  in  1768,  but  not  one  of  the  trustees 
who  took  the  deed  of  sale  in  1770.  One  of  that  name  was  a  member 
as  late  as  1796. § 

Mrs.  Bartley,  who  subscribed  £2,  was  no  doubt  Mary  Barclay,  the 
widow  of  Rev.  Henrj'  Barclay,  the  former  owner  of  the  church 
ground.  1| 

One  David  Grim  was  known  in  New  York  as  the  Antiquarian  tav- 
ern-keeper. "We  owe  to  him  much  of  the  knowledge  we  have  of  the 
city  about  the  time  of  the  Revolution.^  He  was  probably  the  person 
wiio  gave  eight  shillings. 

Peter  Van  Schaick,  whose  subscription  is  £1  4-5.  must  have  been 
about  twenty-two  years  old  at  that  time.  Some  two  or  three  years 
before,  while  a  student  at  King's  (now  Columbia)  College,  he  privately 
married  a  daiigliter  of  Henry  Cruger,  a  relative  of  the  Crugers  already 
mentioned.  He  was  a  loyalist,  and  went  to  England,  but  returned 
after  the  war.  He  is  described  as  an  estimable  man,  an  accomplished 
scholar,  and  an  emineiit  lawyer.  He  received  tiie  title  of  LL.D.,  and 
was  for  many  years  a  vestryman  of  Trinity  Church.  He  died  in  1832, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-six.** 

David  Embury,  who  sub-scribed  £2,  was  a  brother  of  Philip.ff  and 
removed  witli  him  to  Camden. 

*  Letter  of  G.  G.  Saxe,  CItrMian  Advocate,  \o\.  xli,  p.  353. 

t  "  Old  Book,"  May  ^7  and  October  7,  1793. 

i  See  Book  i,  A,  p.  29. 

§  Book  i,  B,  p.  18.  II  See  p.  28. 

t  Old  Merchants  of  New  York,  vol.  lii,  p.  10 ;  Sabine's  History  of  the 
Loyal  iats. 

**  Sabine's  Histoim  of  the  Loi/alUits;  Historical  Magazine,  1882,  p.  343; 
1873,  p.  220;  Wakeley's  Lost  Chaiitcrs,  p.  99. 

t+  G.  G.  Saxe,  ChriKtian  Advocate,  vol.  xli,  p.  353. 


Appendix  E.  437 

Among  the  receipts  in  the  "Old  Book"  we  have  the  follow- 
ing: 

"  Rec'd,  New  York,  13th  Aiigt.,  1770,  of  Mr.  William  Lupton,  five 
pounds  in  full,  being  allow'd  me  for  loss  of  time  and  traveling  ex- 
penses in  coming  from  Camden  in  the  Count}^  of  Albany  to  N.  York 
in  order  to  execute  an  instrument  relative  to  the  Methodist  Preaching- 
liouse.     £5.  David  Embuky." 

In  the  aconnts  we  also  have  an  entry  of  the  payment,  but  nothing 
to  give  any  light  as  to  what  the  instrument  was.  David  was  prob- 
ably acting  as  attorney  for  Piiilip,  and  the  business  had  no  doubt 
some  connection  with  the  deed  of  sale  of  the  ground,  which  is  dated 
November  2,  1770. 

Captain  Thomas  Clarke,  who  gave  £1,  was  probably  the  father- 
in-law  of  Bishop  Moore. 

Charles  McCivers  (properly  McEvers),  a  subscriber  of  £1  12s.  6d., 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  New  York  Ciiamber  of  Commerce.* 
The  Widow  McCivers,  whose  name  appears  afterward  for  £1  4s., 
was  no  doubt  the  widow  of  James  McEvers,  who  was  appointed  dis- 
tributer of  tiie  obnoxious  stamps,  but  refused  to  take  them  on  their 
arrival,  and  resigned.  His  house,  where  is  now  No.  50  Wall  Street, 
was  broken  into  and  the  furniture  destroyed.  He  died  September  8, 
1768,  just  before  tlie  church  was  completed. f 

Isaac  Low,  who  contributed  £1  4s.,  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  New 
York.  He  lived  on  Dock  Street,:^  where  there  were  then  many 
handsome  residences.^  From  1775  to  1783  he  was  president  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  ||  At  first  he  favored  the  popular  cause  very 
earnestly,  but  was  afterward  charged  witli  bad  faith  and  dividing  and 
distracting  tlie  people  and  giving  comfort  and  assistance  to  the  British 
government.  His  property  was  confi.scated,  and  he  went  to  England, 
where  lie  died  in  1791. 

David  Matthews,  who  gave  sixteen  shillings  and  threepence, 
was  mayor  of  the  city  from  1776  to  1784,  the  period  of  the  Revo- 
lution. He  was  a  tory,  was  arrested  by  the  patriots,  and  after 
the  war  was  president  of  the  council  and  commander-in-chief  at  Cape 
Breton.Tf 

*  Lamb's  History  of  Neiv  York,  vol.  i,  p.  740. 

■Hhid.,  vol.  i,  pp.  7:i2-727;  Stevens's  Chamber  of  Commerce  Memorial, 
Biographical  Sketches. 

*  Now  Pearl  Street,  between  Whitehall  Street  and  Hanover  Square. 
§  Lamb's  Histori/  of  New  York,  vol.  i,  p.  758. 

II  Stevens's  Chamber  of  Commerce  Memorial,  Biographical  Sketches. 
t  Sabine's  Histoiy  of  the  Loyalists. 


438  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Of  Tlioraas  Witter,  who  gave  sixteen  shillings  and  threepence,  we 
know  only  that  lie  was  one  of  the  original  members  of  the  Masonic 
Society  of  the  city  of  New  York.* 

The  name  of  .Tosepii  Read  is  found  twice,  first  for  thirteen  shillings, 
and  then  for  £1  8s.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  property,  for  fifty-four 
years  an  ofiBcer  of  Trinity  Church,  and  his  family  gave  name  to  Reade 
Street,  f 

Thomas  Ellison  was  vestryman  of  Trinity  Church  from  1181  to 
1784.     His  subscription  is  sixteen  shillings. 

Mrs.  L.  L.,  giving  sixteen  shillings  and  threepence,  may  be  intended 
for  Mrs.  Leonard  Lispenard,  giving  an  addition  to  the  £2  10s.  6d.  sub- 
scribed before. 

We  fitid  three  subscribers  bearing  the  surname  of  Marstin,  Jolin 
and  Thomas  each  giving  eight  shillings,  and  Nathaniel  £1  I'is.  (id. 
John  and  ThoniMS  were  both  members  of  the  committee  of  one  him- 
dred,  and  Thomas  represented  New  York  in  the  provincial  Congress. 
He  married  a  daugliter  of  Leonard  Lispenard. ;]: 

The  name  of  Captain  Randle  is  entered  for  sixteen  shillings.  In 
180L  Captain  Robert  Richard  Randall  made  a  will,  leaving  the  farm 
of  twenty-one  acres  on  which  he  lived,  in  what  is  now  the  Fifteenth 
Ward,  and  about  seventeen  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  other  property, 
to  found  a  hospital  or  retreat  for  sailors.  This  was  tlie  origin  of  the 
Sailors'  Snug  Harbor  on  Slaten  Island.  This  farm  was  in  the  neigli- 
borhood  of  Grace  Episcopal  Church.  Captain  R.  R.  Randall  was  a 
bachelor.g  There  was  also  a  Captain  Thomas  Randall,  who  died  in 
1797,  and  was  buried  in  Trinity  church-yard.  || 

Mr.  Axiell,  who  gave  £3  5s.,  married  a  sister  of  James  De  Pey- 
ster.^f  He  lived  on  part  of  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Astor 
House.**  It  is  said  he  was  a  descendant  of  David  Axtell,  a  colonel 
in  Cromwell's  army,  who  was  beheaded  at  the  Restoration.  Ho  is 
described  as  "a  gentleman  of  high  honor  and  iniegrity."  But  he  was 
a  tory,  his  property  was  confiscated,  and  he  went  to  England  and 
died  there. ff 

Mary  Ten  Eyck,  who  gave  eight  shillings,  was  no  doubt  the  Mrs. 

*  Old  Merchants  of  New  York,  vol.  Hi,  p.  61. 

+  Lamb's  HMory  of  Xew  Yo7k,  vol.  i,  p.  692. 

$  Ihid.,  vol.  1,  p.  TSS,  and  vol.  ii,  p.  26. 

S  Old  Merchants  of  Xew  York.  vol.  i,  p.  213. 

II  Stevens's  Chamber  of  Commerce  Memorial,  p.  157. 

t  Lamb's  HiMorn  of  New  York,  vol.  i,  p.  756. 

**  Ihid.,  vol.  11.  p.  207. 

t+  Sabine's  History  of  the  Loualists. 


Appendix  E.  439 

Ten  Ejck  who  afterward  contributed  •'  one  bed  sprey  "  to  the  parson- 
age furniture. 

Next  on  the  list  is  Henry  Ctiyler,  with  a  subscription  of  sixteen 
shilhngs  and  threepence.  This  was  probably  Henry  Cujder,  Jr.,  who 
in  1769  built  a  massive  structure  on  the  corner  of  Rose  and  Duane 
Streets  for  a  sugar-house,  and  which  was  still  standing  in  1890.*  It 
is  said  he  died  in  England.f 

Charles  Williams,  a  subscriber  for  sixteen  shillings,  was  a  vestrj-- 
man  of  Trinity  Church  from  1747  to  1774. 

Nich's  Steverson,  who  gave  £1,  is  probably  Nicholas  Stuyvesant, 
a  descendant  of  Peter  Stuyvesant,  the  last  Dutch  governor  of  New 
Amsterdam.  He  was  a  vestryman  of  Trinity  Church  from  1760  lo 
1763. 

The  Walton  House,  built  in  1752,  in  Pearl  Street,  was  long  a  cele- 
brated memorial  of  the  family  of  that  name.  J  Whether  Thomas  Wal- 
ton, who  subscribed  £1,  was  one  of  that  race  we  cannot  tell.  A  gen- 
tleman of  tliat  name,  a  patriotic  merchant,  died  about  1773. § 

John  Watts,  who  gave  £2,  was  probably  the  last  city  recorder  un- 
der the  English  government.!  Tlie  Watts  family  owned  a  fine  estate 
called  the  Rose  Hill  Farm,  extending  from  about  Twenty-third  to 
Thirtieth  Street,  and  crossed  by  Second,  Third,  and  Fourth  Avenues. 
The  Rose  Hill  (Twenty-seventh  Street)  Methodist  Episcopal  Ciuirch 
is  on  this  property.  The  family  lived  at  No.  3  Broadway.  Watts 
was  a  loyalist,  and  left  the  country,  and  died  in  Wales  in  1789.T[ 
The  Leake  and  Watts  Orphan  Asylum  owes  its  existence  to  a  be- 
quest of  a  yoiuiger  John  Watts,  who  died  in  1836. 

Aljr'm  Lynson,  who  gave  twelve  shillings,  was  a  mercliant.** 

Probably  not  to  Anth'y  Rutcas,  but  to  Anthony  Rutgers,  should  we 
credit  the  sixteen  shillings  subscription  that  follows.  The  estate  of 
which  the  church  plot  formed  a  part  is  said  to  have  been  the  property 
of  "  Anthony  Rutgers,  deceased."  Rutgers  Street  derives  its  name 
from  the  family. 

Dr.  Middleton  gave  sixteen  shillings  and  threepence.  He  was  a 
loyalist,  a  professor  in  King's  (now  Columbia)  College,  and  died  in 
New  York  about  1781. ff 

*  Lamb's  Hist,  of  New  York,  vol.  1,  p.  760.        +  Sabine's  Hist,  of  Loyalists. 

$  Booth's  History  of  New  York,  pp.  385,  388,  389. 

§  Stevens's  Chamber  of  Commerce  Memoi'ial,  p.  170. 

II  Lamb's  History  of  New  For/c,  voL  1,  p.  757. 

t  Ibid.,  vol.  li,  p.  66 ;  Sabine's  History  of  the  Loyalists. 

**  Stevens's  Chnmher  of  Commerce  Memorial. 

t+Sabine's  Hist,  of  the  Loyalists ;  also,  notice  of  Dr.  Bard,  in  this  Appendix. 

20 


440  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Hcury  White  gave  £1.  He  was  an  eminent  merchant,  who  in 
1709  did  business  at  the  "De  Peyster  Honse  on  the  Fly,"  where  he 
sold  "  nails,  tea,  glass,  sail-cloth,  medicine,  wine,"  etc.  He  was  pres- 
ident of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  one  of  the  consignees  of  the 
obnoxions  tea.  His  property  waa  confiscated,  and  he  went  to  England, 
and  died  in  London  in  1786.* 

Thomas  Moore  gave  £1  Is.  He  was  a  vestryman  of  Trinity  Cliurch 
for  five  years. 

The  name  of  Elias  Debruce,  whose  subscription  was  sixteen  shil- 
lings. Dr.  Wakeley  translates  (and  it  wonld  seem  correcily)  into 
Elias  Desbrosses.  He  was  alderman  of  the  East  Ward  for  many 
years,  and  warden  and  vestryman  of  Trinity  Church  for  a  long  time, 
and  distinguislied  for  his  benevolence.  He  left  by  will  £500  for 
clothing  and  educ:iting  poor  children  of  the  Charity  School.  Desbros- 
ses Street  was  called  after  the  family  ;  but  no  descendants  of  his  per- 
petuate his  name  in  the  New  York  Directory  of  the  year  1890. 

For  Mr.  Comaline,  who  gave  sixteen  shillings,  we  should  prob- 
ably read  Cromtneline;  but  whether  Daniel  or  Charles  or  Rol)ert 
is  uncertain.  Robert  was  a  vestryman  of  Trinity  Church  from 
1750  to  1784.  They  were  merchants  and  connected  with  the  Lud- 
lows.f 

Dr.  Kissam,  whose  subscription  was  thirteen  siiilhngs,  was  an  emi- 
nent physician  of  the  day,  and  of  a  family  which  has  furnished  many 
prominent  members  of  that  profession. 

On  the  15th  of  May,  1775,  at  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  New  York  a 
committee  of  one  hundred  was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  municip;d 
afEairs  until  different  arrangements  should  be  made  by  the  eontinental 
Congress.  Among  these  we  tind  the  name  of  Rudolphns  Ritze- 
man,  evidently  the  siuue  person  as  Rudolf  Ritsman,  who  gave  £1. 
Shortly  after,  when  four  regimetits  were  raised  in  New  York  at  the 
order  of  Congress,  the  lieutenant-colonel  of  tlie  ttrst  was  "Adolph 
Ritzma,  the  son  of  the  dominie  of  the  Dutch  Church,"  Rev.  Johannes 
Ritzema.  Sad  to  say,  he  and  another  officer  of  the  regiment  proved 
traitors.:}: 

Thomas  Vardell  (not  Yandrill)  should  probably  be  the  name  of  the 
donor  of  £2  6s.     He  was  warden  of  the  port  and  a  loyalist. § 

James   Duane  spared   £2  from  his   lawyer  lees  as  his  contribu- 

♦  Sabine's  History  of  the  LomUM^. 

fOld  Merchants  of  New  York,  vol.  iii,  pp.  107, 108-113. 

$  Booth's  Hixtoni  of  New  York,  pp.  481-487. 

§  Sabine's  Historji  of  the  Loyaluits. 


Appendix  E.  441 

tion.  He  was  one  of  the  most  eminent  in  his  profession,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  old  Congress,  and  tirst  mayor  of  the  city  under  the  State 
government.  From  Washington  he  received  tlie  honor  of  being 
tlie  first  judge  of  the  United  States  District  Court,  under  the  pres- 
ent Coiistituliou  of  the  country.  He  was  a  vestryman  of  Trinity 
Church  from  1772  to  1777,  warden  from  1784  to  1794,  and  mayor 
of  the  city  from  1783  to  1788.  Duane  Street  derives  its  name  from 
tlie  family. 

Theodore  Yan  Wyclc  also  gave  £2.  He  was  assistant  alderman  of 
the  Dock  Ward  iu  1756  and  alderman  in  1764. 

Thomas  Jones,  a  lawyer,  was  recorder  of  the  city  1769-72.  His 
properly  was  eouliscated,  but  the  £1  lis.  which  he  gave  to  the  Metli- 
odist  chapel  was  safely  invested  where  ic  could  do  good.* 

The Verpleck  who  gave  £1   4s.  must  have  been  one  of  the 

Verplanck  fan  ily  well-known  to  New  Yorkers. 

Three  Ludlows  follow.  Mr.  Ludlow  gives  sixteen  shillings  and 
threepence,  William  Ludlow  £1  4s.,  and  C.  Ludlow  £1.  Afterward  we 
have  another  Mr.  Ludlow  giving  nine  shillings.  Dr.  Wakeley  reads 
G.  for  C.  in  the  third  name,  but  it  is  evidently  C.  However,  one  of  the 
two  who  are  entered  as  Mr.  Ludlow  was  probably  Gabriel,  a  vestry- 
man of  Trinity  Church  from  1742  to  1769.  He  was  afterward  in  the 
British  army,  and  went  to  New  Brunswick  and  died  in  1808  But  the 
C.  Ludlow  was  no  doubt  Cary  Ludlow,  who  about  that  time  bought 
a  fine  house,  No.  9  State  Street,  near  llie  Battery.  In  1776  he  went 
to  England,  where  iie  remained  until  1784,  but  died  in  New  York  in 
1815.  His  descendants  must  have  deserted  loyallsm,  as  iu  1824  some 
of  them  gave  a  grand  ball  at  the  house  in  State  Street  to  Lafayette, 
then  visiting  this  country.  The  William  Ludlow  may  have  been  his 
brother,  as  he  had  one  of  that  name.f  Ludlow  Street  owes  its  title 
to  tills  family. 

Andrew  Hamersley  (for  so,  no  doubt,  we  should  read  A.  Hamsley) 
is  also  commemorated  by  a  short  street.  He,  too,  was  a  vestryman 
of  Trinity  Church,  holding  that  office  for  twenty  years,  and  gave 
£1.  He  once  lield  a  commission  in  tlie  army.  The  Directory  of 
1786    reports   liim  as  an   iron-monger  and  dry-goods  merchant,  at 

*  This  is  on  Br.  Wakeley 's  authority.  But  there  was  another  Thomas  Jones, 
a  physician,  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the  New  York  Hospital.  He  married 
a  daughter  of  Philip  Livingstone,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  he  wa.s  the  con- 
tributor. 

+  Sabine's  Historu  of  tlie  Loijalbits;  Lamb's  Hwtoru  of  New  York,  vol. 
11,  p.  446. 


442  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

46  Hanover  Square  ;  he  was  assistant  alderman  of  the  Dock  Ward  in 
1773.     One  of  that  name  died  in  May,  1819,  aged  ninety-four.* 

Peter  Remsen  was  a  dry-goods  merchant,  and  died  in  ]771.f  His 
subscription  was  sixteen  shillings  and  threepence. 

Mr.  Banyar,  who  subscribed  £1,  was  no  doubt  Goldsbrow  Banyar, 
who  was  auditor-general  in  1746  and  deputy  clerk  of  the  council,  etc., 
for  some  time.  On  a  placard  in  the  library  of  the  New  York  His- 
torical Society  is  a  paper  from  his  hand: 

"The  Lieutenant-Governor  declares  he  will  do  nothing  in  rela- 
tion to  the  ST.A.MPS,  but  leave  to  Sir  Henry  Moore  to  do  as  he  pleases 
on  his  arrival.     Council  Chamber,  New  York,  Nov.  2,  1765. 

"By  order  of  his  Honour,  G.  W.  Banyar,  D.  CI.  Gcmy 

Tlie  D.  CI.  Cou.  signifies  deputy  clerk  of  the  council.  Mr.  Banyar 
died  at  Albany  in  the  year  1815.  Sabine  classes  him  among  the  loy- 
alists. 

The  Mr.  Yeats  wlio  gave  sixteen  shillings  and  threepence  was 
probably  Richard  Yales,  a  vestryman  of  Trinity  Church,  also  classed 
as  a  loyalist  by  Sabine.  In  1786  one  of  that  name  was  \n  business 
at  28  Mniden  Lane. 

Fred'k  Depoistor  no  doubt  should  be  De  Peystcr.  He  gave  six- 
teen shillings  and  threepence.  But  some  thirty-five  years  after  a 
Miss  De  Peyster,  perhaps  a  daughter,  left  a  legacy  of  £300  to  tlie  New 
York  Conference,  which  yields  about  $00  annually  to  the  fund  for 
Conference  claimants.  He  was  said  to  be  of  noble  descent.  He  was 
a  loyalist,  and  went  to  New  Brunswick,  but  afterward  returned. :j: 

Thomas  Tucker  gave  £1  125.  He  was  a  vestryman  of  Trinity 
Church  in  1784. 

Cook  is  a  name  so  common  that  when  it  has  no  prefix  but  Mr.  it 
is  hard  to  idontil'y  the  owner.  Perhaps  the  Mr.  Cook  who  gave  four 
shillings  is  the  one  referred  to  in  the  "  Old  Book,"  "  1784,  February, 
15.     To  cash  pd   Mr.  Cook  for  the  preacher's  horse,  £2  2s.  0(7." 

David  Johnston,  whose  subscription  was  £1  12s.  Qd.,  was  probably 
the  David  Johnson  who,  in  1773,  was  elected  a  trustee.  Some,  at 
least,  of  the  preachers  boarded  with  him,  as  is  evident  from  entries  in 
tlie  "Old  Book."  The  Directory  of  1786  gives  the  name,  with  ap- 
pendage of  Esq.,  at  17  Wall  Street. 

Of  Isaac  Sears,  who  gave  £1,  we  learn   that   he  was  one   of   tlie 

*  Histiirical  Magazine,  1873,  p.  41 ;  New  York  Spectator,  May  24, 1810. 
■'iOmmhcr  of  Commerce  Memorial,  p.  158. 
$  Sabine's  History  of  the  Loyalists. 


Appendix  K.  443 

most  ardmt  leaders  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty.*  At  th%  battle  of  the 
Liberty  Pole,  on  the  Common  (now  the  City  Hall  Park),  Angiist  10, 
1766,  he  was  seriously  wounded.  In  January,  1770,  he  and  Waltt-r 
Quackenbos  detected  three  soldiers  in  the  act  of  posting  scuirilotis 
pluc.rd.s  throughout  the  city,  and  each  grasped  a  man  by  the  col- 
lar. The  third  soldier  rushed  upon  Sears  with  his  bayonet,  attempt- 
ing to  free  his  comrade,  but  the  Son  of  Liberty  finding  a  ram's  horn 
near  at  hand,  hurled  it  with  such  force  in  the  face  of  his  assailant 
as  to  make  him  reel  bnck  from  the  shock,  so  that  the  captors  made 
their  way  with  their  captives  to  the  mayor's  office.  This  was  the 
beginning  of  the  battle  of  Golden  Hill,  immediately  in  the  neighbor- 
liood  of  the  Methodist  church,  in  which  the  first  blood  was  shed  in 
the  Revolutionary  War,  anticipating,  by  some  weeks,  the  celebrated 
Boston  massacre.  In  1775  Sears  was  arrested  for  instigating  the 
people  to  resistance,  but  tliey  rescued  him  on  the  way  to  prison.  He 
was  a  delesrate  to  the  first  provincial  Congress  and  an  officer  in  the 
American  arn)y.f 

A  lawyer,  named  WiUiam  "Wickliam,  flourished  about  one  hundred 
years  ago  in  tiie  city.  Perhaps  he  was  the  Lawyer  Wickham 
who  gave  nineteen  shillings  and  si.xpence,  and  perhaps  he  was  an 
ancestor  of  Mayor  Wickham.  But  why  did  he  not  give  the  additional 
sixpence  and  make  it  just  £1.:}: 

John  Casuer  gave  £1.  It  is  probable  that  he  was  the  John  Gassnar 
whose  name  is  signed  to  the  first  receipt  in  the  "  Old  Book."     It  reads : 

"Rec'd,  New  York.  17th  Augt.,  1769,  of  Mr.  Wm.  Lupton,  £10 
12s.  10(7.  for  painting  and  glazing  done  to  Method't  preaching-house. 

"£10  12.S.  \Qd.  John  Gassx.^r."  § 

*  Fresneau,  in  his  political  squib  upnn  Galne,  editor  of  the  New  York 
Mercury,  writes : 

"  At  this  time  arose  a  certain  King  SEARS, 
Who  made  it  his  study  to  banish  our  fears. 
He  was  without  doubt  a  person  of  merit. 
Great  kuowledfje,  some  wit,  and  abundance  of  spirit. 
Could  tallj  like  a  lawyer,  and  that  without  fee. 
And  threatened  perdition  to  all  who  drank  Tea." 

—Stevens's  Chnmher  of  Commerce  Memorial,  p.  160. 
+  Booth's  Historij  of  Xew  York,  pp.  413,  417,  4.3-3,  435, 448-4.50,  479,  480,  487. 
t  Lamb's  History  of  JVew  York,  vol.  ii,  pp.  32,  .300. 

§  .\bout  fifty  years  after  one  Peter  Gassner,  probably  a  descendant  of  John, 
has  dealings  with  the  trustees  of  the  Methodist  Church.  But  he  is  in  another 
line  of  trade,  not  painting  and  glazing,  but  clothing.    He  sends  in  a  bill  for 

4 J  yds.  coating,  lis $•">  ^^ 

Hose  and  bombazine  [probably  for  one  of  the  bishops  or  preachers],      1  81 

Oct.  2'1,  1819.  S7  44 


444  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Of  Richard  Waldroa,  who  gave  sixteen  shillings,  we  know  nothing. 
But  it  is  wortiiy  of  notice  that  of  ail  tlie  subscriptions  this  is  the 
only  one  the  payment  of  which  is  entered  in  the  regular  account. 
Most  probably  the  others  were  paid  in  before  the  account  was  begun. 
It  is  under  date  of  August  1,  17G9. 

It  is  a  pity  we  can  say  nothing  of  Mr.  Samuel  Schuyler,  who  gave 
£3  4a-.  '3d.  All  we  know  is  that  he  was  of  the  Schuyler  family,  and 
was  probably  related  to  Mr.  Luptou's  first  wife. 

And  here  tlie  original  subscription-list  seems  to  have  ended,  and 
the  amount  is  footed  up,  being  £309  1 5s.  Id.  What  follows  is  in 
paler  ink,  and  there  is  some  difference  in  the  penmanship,  though 
the  hand  may  be  the  same.  It  seems  to  have  been  the  result  of  a 
renewed  effort,  and  several  of  tiie  names  are  the  same  as  in  tlie  first 
list. 

John  Leake,  however,  who  leads  this  rear-guard  with  a  subscrip- 
tion of  £15,  is  a  new  name.  Twenty  years  later  a  Jolm  G.  Leake, 
gentleman,  lived  at  No.  5  Fair  Street  (now  Fulton,  between  Broadway 
and  Pearl  Streets).  This  name  is  associated  with  that  of  Watt  in  the 
Leake  and  Watt  Orphan  Asylum. 

For  what  we  know  of  John  Chave,  who  subscribed  £5,  we  are  in- 
debted mainly  to  a  letter  to  Dr.  Wakeley  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  S.  R. 
Johnson,  of  the  General  Theological  Seminary,  New  York.*  We 
there  learn  that  he  was  a  British  officer  who  came  to  America  about 
the  time  of  the  French  war.  He  was  converted  while  in  the  army, 
and  was  noted,  even  among  the  Metliodists  themselves,  for  his  very 
strong  attachment  to  Mr.  Wesley.  Having  been  in  the  army  with 
Captain  Webb  and  Mr.  Liipton,  he  entertained  a  warm  affection  for 
them,  and  liis  intimacy  with  the  Lupton  family  continued  after  the 
death  of  his  friend.  He  lived  for  some  years  at  Newark,  N.  J.,  using 
his  propertj',  wliicli  was  quite  sufficient  for  his  support,  frugally  as 
to  his  own  wants,  but  generously  to  others.  His  property  became 
involved  by  the  misfortunes  of  William  Lupton,  Jr.,  with  wiiom  an 
arrangement  was  afterward  made  for  his  support.  He  resided  for 
some  time  iu  Greenwich  Village,  then  a  suburb  of  New  York,  now  a 
part  of  the  city.  Afterward  he  joined  Mr.  William  Lupton  in  Wal- 
ton, Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  where,  about  1816,  when  not  far  from 
eighty-six  years  old,  he  died  and  was  buried.  One  who  knew  him 
(Klbert  Herring,  Esq.)  saj's  :  "  I  never  knew  a  man  more  entirely 
devoted  to  the  Lord ;  his  Christian  spirit  manifested  itself  in  all  he 
did  ;  he  seemed  to  live  for  Christ  alone."  It  was  his  custom,  when 
*  Lost  Chapters,  etc.,  p.  539. 


Appexdix  E.  445 

lie  :i\voke  at  night,  to  spond  tlie  time  in  prayer.  A  few  weeks  before 
he  iJ;t-d  he  w:is  ht-ard  at  niidiiignt  siiigin<<  his  favorite  liymns  In  the 
morning-  Mr.  Lupton  said  to  him,  '■  You  felt  quite  Hive  singing  last 
night,  Father  Chave?"  "  0,  yes,"  said  he,  "  I  fell  so  happy  in  the  Lord 
I  could  not  help  singing."  He  was  a  useful  member  of  the  Church, 
occupying  official  position^.  In  Bishop  Asbury's  Journal,  under  date 
of  September  1 1,  1772,  he  says,  "  Appointed  Mr.  C.  to  take  an  account 
of  the  weekly  and  quarterly  collections."*  That  this  was  Mr.  Chave 
is  made  certain  by  the  following  entry  in  the  "  Old  Book,"  under  date 
of  Augu.«t  12,  1773  :  "By  class  collections  Rec'd  by  Mr.  Chave  be- 
tween September,  1772,  and  Augt.  12th,  1773,  £60  lis."  At  least  one 
entry  of  a  similar  kind  is  found  afterward.  Mr.  Chave's  name. ap- 
pears also  in  the  "  Old  Book,"  in  another  series  of  transactions,  in 
wiiioh  we  sec  his  association  with  tlie  financial  affairs  of  the  Church, 
and  those  of  the  Lupton  family.  We  read  :  "  Sept.  5,  1787.  To  cash 
paid  Wm.  Lupton,  one  year's  interest,  £21." .  In  September,  of  the 
following  year,  the  name  of  Mr.  Chafe  is  substituted  for  that  of  Lup- 
ton, and  these  payments  continue  from  year  to  year,  except  that  in 
1791  William  Lupton  receives  the  monej',  and  that  in  the  last  entry  in 
1795  tiie  name  is  spelt  Chave.  "  I  remember  him  in  my  childhood,"  says 
Mr.  Johnson,  "  sitiing  in  his  arm-chair  on  the  piazza  of  Peter  Roose- 
velt's farm-house  at  Newtown,  in  1807,  and  my  memory  yet  brings 
up  to  the  mind  his  venerable  form  and  whitened  locks."  \ 

John  Staples  subscribes  £1.  He  was  a  native  of  Prnssia,  and  hia 
wife,  before  he  married  her,  is  said  to  have  been  the  widow  succes- 
sively of  two  sea-captains  (Lynn  and  Lovegrove),  both  of  whom  were 
lost  at  sea.  Mr.  Staples,  as  we  learn  from  the  "  Old  Book,"  was 
elected  trustee  in  1773,:]:  and  m  May,  1*774,  his  name  is  found  as  joint 
treasurer  with  Stephen  Sands.  He  held  this  position  with  different 
colleagues  most  of  the  time  covered  by  the  accounts  of  that  book.g 
He  introduced  into  this  country  the  business  of  sugar  refining.  His 
first  refinery  was  in  Rector  Street ;  the  second,  which  was  much 
larger,  was  in  Liberty  Street,  near  the  Middle  Dutch  Church.  This  whs 
afterward  the  famous  sugar-house  where  American  prisoners  suffered 
so  much  during  the  Revolution.  It  appears  also  from  the  Directory 
of  1786  that  he  carried  on  business  as  a  grocer  at  No.  5  Maiden  Lane. 
In  the  "Old  Book  "  we  have  the  entry:  "  1771,  11th  Feb.  To  cash 
pd.  Mr.  Staples  fur  sugar  and  wine,  etc.,  13s.  Qd." 

Mr.  Staples  became  wealthy,  and  moved  in  the  best  society.     He 

*  See  p.  60.  +  Wakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  541. 

i  See  p.  68,  note.  §  See  treasurers,  note,  p.  135. 


440  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  Yorac  City. 

was  an  intimate  friend  of  the  Rev.  F.  Garrettson,  and  it  is  said  that 
at  his  house  Mr.  Garrettson  first  met  Miss  ('atharine  Livingston,  who 
afterward  became  his  wife.  A  son  of  Mr.  Staples,  named  John 
Jacob,  had  a  great  genius  for  invention.  He  le:iraed  the  trade  of 
watch-maker  with  his  father's  intimate  friend,  Stephen  Sands.*  His 
first  patent  was  taken  out  under  the  presidency  of  Washington,  and 
after  that  he  obtained  one,  at  least,  under  every  successive  adminis- 
tration down  10  that  of  W.  H.  Harrison.  He  was  a  very  accomphshed 
gentleman  and  of  great  conversational  powers.  He  married  a  beautiful 
Quakeress,  the  daughter  of  Colonel  De  Courcy,  who  brought  with  her 
S80,000.  For  a  time  he  was  very  successful  in  business,  but,  having 
speculated  heavily  and  indorsed  imprudently,  he  finally  became  a 
bankrupt,  and  involved  his  father  also.  The  old  gentleman  had  given 
up  business  and  retired  to  his  country-seat  at  Newtown,  L.  I.,  liaving, 
as  he  supposed,  property  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  spend  the  evening 
of  his  life  without  care.  But  this  sudden  calamity  overwhelmed  him, 
and  he  died  in  1806,  and  was  buried  in  Xewlown.  His  widow  sur- 
vived until  1821,  and  then  died  at  the  age  of  ninety,  and  was  buried 
by  lier  husband's  side.  The  son,  in  his  old  age,  became  a  number 
of  ihe  Willett  Street  Church,  New  York,  and  died  in  1851,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-two,  and  was  buried  with  his  father. 

Of  two  other  sons  of  John  Staples  we  have  some  account.  One 
was  born  while  Rev.  Thomas  Rankin  was  in  New  York — that  is,  be- 
fore June,  1778,  and  was  named  after  him.  He  grew  up  to  be  wild 
and  reckless,  a  cause  of  miicli  grief  to  his  father,  who  would  often 
say,  as  the  tears  ran  down  his  cheeks,  "  Thomas,  my  son,  the  course 
you  are  pursuing  will  bring  down  my  gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  the 
grave."  The  young  man's  health  failing,  lie  visited  England  and  died 
there,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Rankin,  attended  by  Dr.  "Whitehead,  Mr. 
Sause,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R:inkin.  From  his  death-bed  he  sent  this 
message:  "Tell  my  father  that  the  son  whom  he  said  would  bring 
down  his  gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  grave  will  reach  heaven  be- 
fore lie  does."  He  died  February  6,  1795,  and  was  buried  in  London, 
it  is  sai  I,  at  City  Road.  Another  son  was  born  during  the  Revolu- 
tion, while  Samuel  Spraggs  was  pastor,  and  was  named  after  him.f 

*  In  the  Directory  of  1789  we  have  "John  J.  Staples,  Jr.,  watch  and  clock 
maker,  -10  Water  Street." 

t  Mrs.  Marararet  Cooper,  the  mother  of  Peter  Cooper,  became  a  member  of 
Mr.  Staples'  class  In  178S.  Perhaps  the  Mrs.  fStapel  whose  name  we  And  ear- 
lier in  the  list  f^iving  sLxteeu  shillings  and  threepence  was  the  wife  of  this 
John  Staples. 


Appendix  E.  447 

Stephen  Sands,  whose  uaine  has  been  mentioned  in  the  sketch  of 
Staples,  siands  very  properly  in  the  list  next  to  his  old  friend,  sub- 
scribinjj  ;dso  the  same  sum,  £1.  Of  his  birth  and  early  history  we 
know  nothing,  but  it  is  probable  that  he  was  a  son  of  Joshua  Sands, 
of  Sands  Point,  L.  I.  He  was  elected  trustee  in  1773,  and  he 
and  Staples  succeeded  James  Jarvis  as  treasurer  in  1774.*  His 
liouse  was  the  tirst  in  America  to  receive  Dr.  Coke  when  he  came,  in 
November,  1784.  Drew,  in  his  life  of  Coke,  says  that  there  he 
"found  himself  in  a  region  of  iiospitaiity  and  friendship."  Whatcoat, 
also,  who  was  witii  Dr.  Coke,  says  in  his  Journal,  "We  were  kindly 
recei%'ed  by  our  Christian  friends,  Messrs.  Sands  and  others.'"  He 
also  boarded  the  preachers,  as  appears  by  the  following  receipt, 
wlich,  Dr.  "Wakeley  says,  "now  lies  belbre  me,  in  his  own  handwrit- 
ing, on  a  little  piece  of  paper  that  has  been  singularly  preserved : 

"  Rec,  January  9th,  1776,  of  Mr.  Eichard  Sause,  five  pounds  ti  teon 
shillings  ami  sevenpeuce,  l)eing  part  of  the  class  collections  to  pay  the 
preacher's  hoard.     £5  15s.  Id.  Ftkphen  Sands." 

Mr.  Sands  was  a  watt-h-maker,  and  advertises  (September  2,  1779,) 
f  om  189  Queen  S'reet.  Rev.  Ezekiel  Cooper,  in  his  Journal,  says, 
'•Mr.  Sands  was  a  local  preacher." 

Philip  Eberi,  £1.  All  tliat  we  know  about  him  besides  is  what  we 
find  in  tliis  entry  : 

"1772,  Nov.  24.  To  cash  paid  Mr.  Boardman,  the  £10  that  was  bor- 
rowed from  Piiilip  Kbert.  and  is  now  p^id  by  order  of  Philip.  £10.'" 
In  1787  a  Philip  Ebert  was  excluded  for  slandering  the  preachers. 

Thomas  Dimcan  was  a  celebrated  nv  reliant  of  that  day.  In 
February,  1767,  his  house  in  Hanover  Square  was  burned,  and  his 
w^fe  and  four  children,  who  were  sick  with  the  sraall-pox,  lost  their 
lives.  One  daughter  threw  herself  from  the  window,  and  escaped, 
and  another  was  out  at  nurse.  It  is  SMid  that  Mr.  Duncan  never 
smiled  afierward.f  Perhaps  his  donation  of  £1  12«.  was  partly  the 
result  of  his  affliction. 

The  laryest  contribution  from  a  woman  is  that  of  Mrs.  Anderson, 
£3  4s.  This  in  itself  entitles  her  to  remembrance;  but  if  we  do  not 
misinter[)ret  two  entries  in  the  "  Old  Book  "  she  is  worthy  of  greater 
credit  than  at  first  appears.  We  read:  "1772,  July  16.  To  cash 
paid  Mrs.  Anderson,  part  of  her  wages,  16 — "  (sixteen  shillings). 
And  again,  "Nov.  5,  to  cash  paid  Mrs.  Anderson,  her  wages  in  full, 

*  Of  hi.s  .service  as  treasurer  see  note,  p.  135. 

+  0'(f  Mnrhdiitx  of  New  York,  vol.  ill,  pp.  108-110;  New  York  Mcrmry 
cind  Gazette.  February  10,  1707. 


448  A  History  of  Mkthooism  ix  New  York  City. 

£3  lis."  She  seems  to  have  earned  lier  livhig  by  labor,  iuid perhaps 
her  contribution  was  that  of  a  widow,  and  should  be  set  down  by  the 
side  of  that  of  her  who  gave  the  two  mites,  the  most  liberal  subscrip- 
tion of  all. 

John  Bowden,  like  Phihp  Ebert,  gave  £1  ;  and  of  him  also  we 
know  nothing  except  what  we  find  in  the  "  Old  Book."  Under  date 
of  November  22,  1770,  we  have  the  entry: 

"  To  cash  pd.  By  Mr.  Bowden  to  take  Mr.  Boardman  and  Bring 
Mr.  Pil'e  (Pilmore)  from  P.  Town,  £0  45.  Od."  (P.  Town  is  Piiila- 
delphia  or  Princeton.)  But  the  name  of  Miss  Elizabetii,  or  Betsey, 
Bowden  appears  frequently  from  May  15,  1778,  onward.  She  re- 
ceived interest  for  money  loaned  to  the  cliurch.  At  first  the  amount 
was  £600,  but  in  a  year  or  two  it  would  seem  that  some  payments 
liad  been  made  on  the  principal,  and  at  last  we  have  an  entry  of  the 
piij'ment  of  £50,  with  which  the  transaction  apparently,  closes.  She 
niaj'  liave  been  the  sister  or  daughter  of  Mr.  Bowden. 

Thomas  Brinklcy,  whose  subscription  was  sixteen  shillings,  was 
born  in  Philadelphia,  and  married  Mary,  the  sister  of  John  Staples. 
He' was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  and  one  of  the  guard 
who  watched  over  Major  Andre  and  conducted  him  to  the  place  of 
execution.  He  died  February  5,  1795,  aged  forty-six  years.  His 
wife  survived  him  several  years,  and  was  buried  in  the  same  grave, 
in  the  burying-ground  of  the  old  Forsyth  Street  Church.  A  portrait 
of  him  is  said  to  be  in  the  possession  of  his  granddaughter.  His  son 
John  was  an  lionored  member  of  the  Allen  Street  Churcli,  and  left  a 
legacy  of  a  thousand  dollars  to  the  Missionary  Society. 

Lewis  Faugers  is  set  down  for  £3  4s.  In  the  list  of  trustees 
chosen  in  1785  (see  page  86)  we  find  the  name  Lewis  Faugre.  The 
correct  orthographj^  is  undoubtedly  Faugere,  as  we  find  it  most  fre- 
quently in  the  "Old  Book,"  most  generally  with  the  prefix  Doctor. 
He  held  a  bond  for  which  he  received  annual  interest. 

A  few  names  follow,  but  they  are  either  tliose  that  we  have  had 
before  or  such  as  we  cm  get  no  information  about. 


APPENDIX  F. 

LETTER  OF  T.  T.  (THOMAS  TAYLOR)  TO  MR.  WESLEY. 

This  letter  was  found  by  Rev.  Charles  Atmore  among  tlie  papers 
of  Rev.  Christopher  Hopper.  Little  is  known  of  the  aut'.or.  He 
probably  did  not  remain  long  in  the  cit}',  as  his  name,  though  in  the 


Appendix  F.  449 

list  of  trustees  to  whom  the  lease  and  the  first  deed  of  sale  were 
given,  is  not  among  tliose  who  took  the  deed  of  1870.  We  might 
suppose  the  Mrs.  Taylor  who  lent  certain  articles  for  the  furnish- 
ing of  the  preachers'  house  (see  Appendix  K)  was  his  wife,  but  he 
writes  as  if  his  family  were  not  with  him. 

••New  York,  Ajrril  11,  1768. 

"Rev.  and  Very  Dear  Sir:  I  intended  writing  to  you  for  several 
weeks  past, :  but  a  \'e\v  of  us  had  a  very  material  transaction  in  view. 
I  liierefore  postponed  writing  until  I  could  give  you  a  particular  ac- 
count tliereof;  this  was  the  purchasing  of  ground  for  building  a 
preacl ling- house  upon,  which,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  we  have  now 
concluded.  But  before  I  proceed  I  siiall  give  you  a  short  account  of 
the  state  of  religion  in  tliis  citj-.  By  tlie  best  intelligence  I  can  col- 
lect, there  was  little  either  of  the  form  or  power  of  it  until  Mr. 
Whitefield  came  over,  thirtj-  years  ago;  and  even  after  his  first  and 
second  visits  there  appeared  but  little  fruit  of  his  labors.  But  during 
his  visit  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  ago  there  was  a  considerable  shak- 
ing among  the  dry  bones.  Divers  were  savingly  converted;  and  this 
work  was  much  increased  in  his  last  journey,  about  fourteen  years 
since,  when  his  words  were  really  like  a  hammer  and  like  a  fire. 
Most  part  of  the  adults  were  stirred  up  ;  great  numbers  pricked  to 
the  lieart,  and,  hy  a  judgment  of  charity,  several  found  peace  and  joy 
in  believing.  The  consequence  of  this  work  was,  churches  were 
crowded,  and  subscriptions  raised  for  building  new  ones.  Mr.  White- 
field's  example  provoked  most  of  the  ministers  to  a  mucli  greater  de- 
gree of  earnestness.  And  by  the  multitudes  of  people,  old  and 
3'oung,  rich  and  poor,  flocking  to  the  churches,  religion  became  an 
honorable  profession.  There  was  now  no  outward  cross  to  be  taken 
up  therein.  Nay,  a  person  wiio  could  not  speak  about  the  grace  of 
God,  and  the  now  birth,  was  esteemed  unfit  for  genteel  conipan3\ 
But  in  a  wjiile,  instead  of  pressing  forward,  and  growing  in  grace, 
(as  he  exhorted  tliem),  the  generality  were  pleading  for  the  remains  of 
sin  and  the  necessity  of  being  in  darkness.  They  esteemed  their 
opinions  as  the  very  essentials  of  Chrislianitj^  and  regarded  not  lioH- 
ness,  either  of  heart  or  life. 

"  The  above  appears  to  me  to  be  a  genuine  account  of  the  state  of 
religion  in  New  York  eighteen  months  ago,  when  it  pleased  God  to 
rouse  up  Mr.  Embury  to  employ  his  talent  (whicli  for  several  years  had 
been  hid,  as  it  were,  in  a  napkin)  by  calling  sinners  to  repentance,  and 
cxliorting  believers  to  let  their  light  shine  before  men.      He  spoke  at 


450  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

first  only  in  his  own  liouse.  A  few  were  soon  collected  togeilier  and 
joined  into  a  litt'.e  society,  chiefly  his  own  countrymen,  Irish  Germans. 
In  about  ihree  months  after,  Brotlier  Wliite  andBroiher  Sause,  from 
Dublin,  joined  them.  They  then  rented  an  empty  room  in  their 
neijiliborhood,  which  was  in  the  most  infamous  street  in  the  city,  ad- 
joining the  barracks.  For  some  time  few  tliought  it  worth  their  while 
toiiear:  but  God  so  ordered  it  by  his  providence,  that  about  fourteen 
months  ago  Captain  Webb,  barrack-master  at  Albany  {who  was  con- 
verted three  years  since  at  Bristol),  found  them  out,  and  preached  in 
his  regimentals.  The  novelty  of  a  man  preaching  in  a  scarlet  coat  soon 
brought  greater  numbers  to  liear  than  the  room  could  contain.  But  his 
doctrines  were  quite  new  to  the  hearers ;  for  he  told  them  point 
l)lank,  '  tliat  all  their  knowledge  and  religion  were  not  worth  a  rush, 
imless  their  sins  were  forgiven,  and  thc\'  had  "  the  witness  of  God's 
Spirit  with  theirs  tliat  they  were  the  children  of  God."  '  Tliis  strange 
doctrine,  witli  some  peculiarities  in  his  person,  made  him  soon  taken 
notice  of;  and  obliged  the  little  society  to  look  out  for  a  larger  house 
to  preach  in.  They  soon  found  a  place  that  had  been  built  for  a  rig- 
ging-house, sixty  feet  in  length  and  eighteen  in  breadth. 

"About  tliis  period  Mr.  Webb,  whose  wife's  relations  lived  at 
Jamaica,  Long  Island,  took  a  house  in  that  neighborhood,  and  began 
topreaeii  in  iiis  own  house  and  several  other  places  on  Long  Island. 
Within  six  months,  about  twenty- four  persons  received  justifying 
grace,  nearly  half  of  tiiera  wiiites — the  rest  negroes.  While  Mr. 
Webb  was  (to  borrow  liis  own  phrase)  'felling  trees  on  Long  Island,' 
Brother  Embury  was  exhorting  all  who  atieuded  on  Tiiursday  even- 
ings, and  Sundays,  morning  and  evening,  at  the  rigsing-house,  to 
flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  His  hearers  began  to  increase,  and 
some  gave  heed  to  his  report,  about  the  time  the  gracious  providence 
of  God  brought  me  safe  to  New  York,  after  a  very  favorable  passage 
of  six  weeks  from  Plymouth.  It  was  the  26ih  day  of  October  last 
when  I  arrived,  recommended  to  a  person  for  lodging;  I  inquired  of 
my  host  (who  was  a  very  religious  man)  if  any  Methodists  were  in 
New  York  ;  he  answered  that  there  was  one  Captain  Webb,  a  strange 
sort  of  man,  who  lived  on  Long  Island,  and  who  sometimes  preached 
at  one  Embury's,  at  the  riggiug-honse.  In  a  few  days  I  found  out 
Embur}'.  I  soon  found  of  what  spirit  he  was,  and  that  he  was  person- 
ally acquainted  with  you  and  your  doctrines,  and  that  he  had  been 
a  helper  in  Ireland.  He  had  formed  two  classes,  one  of  the  men, 
and  the  other  of  the  women,  but  had  never  met  the  society  apart 
from  the  congregation,  although  there  were  six  or  seven  men,  and  as 


Appendix  F.  451 

many  women,  who  hud  a.  clear  sense  of  their  acceptance  in  the  Be- 
loved. 

•'  You  will  not  wonder  at  my  being  agreeably  surprised  in  meeting 
with  a  few  here  who  have  been  and  desire  again  to  be  in  connection 
with  you.  God  only  knows  the  weight  of  affliction  I  felt  on  leaving 
my  native  couutrj'.  But  I  have  reason  now  to  conclude  God  inteiided 
all  for  my  good.  Ever  since  I  left  London,  my  load  has  been  re- 
moved, and  I  have  found  a  cheerfulness  in  being  banished  from  all 
near  and  dear  to  me,  and  I  made  a  new  covenant  wiili  my  God,  that 
I  would  go  to  the  utmost  parts  of  the  earth,  provided  he  would  rai.se 
up  a  people  with  whom  I  might  join  in  liis  praise.  On  the  great  deep 
I  found  a  more  earnest  desire  to  be  united  witli  the  people  of  God 
than  ever  before.  I  made  a  resolution  that  God's  people  should  be 
my  people,  and  their  God  my  God;  and,  bless  his  holy  name,  I  have 
since  experienced  more  heartfelt  happiness  than  ever  I  thought  it 
possible  to  have  on  this  side  eternity.  All  an.xious  care  about  my 
dear  wife  and  children  is  taken  away.  I  cannot  assist  them,  but  I 
daily  and  hourly  commend  them  to  God  in  prayer,  and  I  know  lie 
hears  ra}-  prayers,  by  an  answer  of  love  in  my  heart.  I  find  power 
daily  to  devote  myself  unto  him ;  and  I  find  power  also  to  overcome 
sin.  If  any  uneasiness  at  ah  affects  me,  it  is  because  I  can  speak  so 
little  of  so  good  a  God. 

"Mr.  Embury  lately'  has  been  more  zealous  than  formerly;  the 
consequence  of  which  is  that  he  is  more  lively  iu  preachmg;  and 
his  gifts  as  well  as  graces  are  much  ii.creascd.  Great  numbers  of 
serious  persons  came  to  hear  God's  word  as  for  their  lives;  and  their 
numbers  increased  so  fast  that  our  iiouse  for  six  weeks  past  would 
not  contain  lialf  the  people. 

"  "We  had  some  consultations  how  to  remedy  this  inconvenience, 
and  Mr.  Embury  proposed  renting  a  small  lot  of  ground  for  twenty- 
one  years,  and  to  exert  our  utmost  endeavors  to  build  a  wooden  tab- 
ernacle ;  a  piece  of  ground  was  proposed ;  the  ground-rent  was  agreed 
for.  and  the  lease  was  to  be  executed  in  a  few  days.  We,  liowever,  in  the 
meantime,  had  two  several  days  for  fasting  and  prayer  for  the  direction 
of  God  and  his  blessing  on  our  proceedings;  and  providence  opened 
such  a  door  as  we  had  no  expectation  of.  A  young  man,  a  sincere 
Christian  and  constant  hearer,  though  not  joined  in  society,  not  giving 
any  thing  toward  this  house,  offered  ten  pounds  to  buy  a  lot  of  ground, 
went  of  his  own  accord  to  a  lady  who  had  two  lots  to  sell,  on  one  of 
wliich  there  i.s  a  house  that  rents  for  eiglilcen  pounds  per  annum.  He 
found  the  purchase  money  of  tlie  two  lots  was  six  hiuidrcd  pounds. 


452  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

which  she  was  willing  should  remain  in  the  purchaser's  possession, 
on  good  security.  We  called  once  more  on  God  for  his  direction, 
and  resolved  to  purchase  the  whole.  There  are  eight  of  us  who  are  joint 
purchasers:  among  whom  Mr.  Webb  and  Mr.  Lupton  are  men  of 
propert}'.  1  was  determined  the  house  should  be  on  the  same  foot- 
ing as  the  orphan  house  at  Newcastle,  and  others  in  England;  but  as 
we  were  ignorant  how  to  draw  tlie  deeds,  we  purchased  for  us  and 
our  heirs,  until  a  copy  of  the  writing  is  sent  us  from  England,  which  we 
desire  may  be  sent  by  the  first  opportunity. 

"  Before  we  began  to  talk  of  building,  the  devil  and  his  children 
were  very  peaceable:  but  since  this  affair  took  place  many  ministers 
have  cursed  us  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  labored  with  all  their 
might  to  stop  their  congregations  from  assislhig  us.  But  He  that 
sitteth  in  the  highest  laughed  them  to  scorn!  Many  have  broken 
through,  and  given  their  friendly  assistance.  We  have  collected  above 
one  hundred  pounds  more  than  our  own  contributions ;  and  have 
reason  to  hope  in  the  whole  we  shall  have  two  hundred  pounds ;  but 
the  house  will  cost  us  four  hundred  pounds  more,  so  tliat  unless  God 
is  pleased  to  raise  up  friends  we  shall  yet  be  at  a  loss.  I  believe  Mr. 
AVebb  and  Mr.  Lupton  will  borrov/  or  advance  two  hundred  pounds, 
rather  than  the  building  should  not  go  forward;  but  the  interest  of 
money  here  is  a  great  burden — being  seven  per  cent.  Some  of  our 
brethren  proposed  writing  to  you  for  a  collection  in  England;  but  I 
was  averse  to  this,  as  I  well  know  our  friends  there  are  overburdened 
already.  Yet  so  far  I  would  earnestly  beg:  if  yon  would  intimate  our 
circumstnnces  to  particular  persons  of  ability,  perhaps  God  would  open 
their  hearts  to  assist  this  infant  society,  and  contribute  to  the  first 
preachiug-house  on  the  original  Methodist  plan  in  all  America  (ex- 
cepting Mr.  Whitefield's  orphan  house  in  Georgia);  but  I  sliall  write 
no  more  on  this  subject. 

"  There  is  another  point  far  more  material,  and  in  which  I  must 
importune  your  assistance,  not  only  in  my  own  name,  but  also  in  the 
name  of  the  whole  society.  We  want  an  able  and  experienced 
preacher,  one  who  has  both  gifts  and  grace  necessary  for  the  work. 
God  has  not,  indeed,  despised  the  day  of  small  tilings.  There  is  a 
real  work  of  grace  begun  in  many  hearts  by  the  preaching  of  Mr. 
Webb  and  Mr.  Embury;  but  altiiougii  tlicy  are  both  useful,  and  their 
hearts  in  the  work,  they  want  many  qualifications  for  sucli  an  un- 
dertaking; and  the  progress  of  the  Gospel  horc  depends  much  upon 
the  qualifications  of  preachers. 

"  In  regard  to  a  preacher,  if  possible  we  niust  have  a  man  of  wis- 


Appendix  F.  453 

dom,  of  sound  faith,  and  a  good  di-^ciplinarian :  one  whose  heart  and 
soul  are  in  tlie  work  ;  and  I  doubt  not  but  by  the  goodness  of  God  such 
a  tlame  will  be  soon  kindled  as  would  never  stop  until  it  reached  the 
great  South  Sea.  We  may  make  many  shifts  to  evade  temporal  in- 
conveniences;  but  we  cannot  purchase  such  a  preacher  as  I  have  de- 
scribed. Dear  sir,  I  entreat  you,  for  tlie  good  of  tliousands,  to  use 
your  utmost  endeavors  to  send  one  over.  I  would  advise  him  to  take 
shipping  at  Bristol,  Liverpool,  or  Dublin,  in  the  montii  of  July,  or 
early  in  August:  by  embarking  at  tliis  season  he  will  have  fine 
weather  in  his  passage,  and  probably  arrive  here  in  the  month  of 
September.  He  will  see  before  winter  what  progress  tlie  Gospel  has 
made. 

"  With  respect  to  money  for  the  payment  of  the  preachers'  passage 
over,  if  they  could  not  procure  it,  we  would  sell  our  coats  and  shirts 
to  procure  it  for  them. 

"  I  most  earnestly  beg  an  interest  in  your  praj'ers,  and  trust  you, 
and  many  of  our  brethren,  will  not  forget  the  church  in  tliis  wil- 
derness. 

"I  remain  with  sincere  esteem.  Rev.  and  dear  sir,  your  very  aff'^c- 
lionate  brother  and  servant,  T.  T." 


APPHNDIX    G. 

LETTER  OF  THOMAS  BELL. 

The   following  letter,  Dr.  W.ikeley  says,*  is  copied  from  the  Ar- 
minian  Magazine.     The  writer  seems  to  have  beiii  n  nu-clmnicf 

"Charlestox,  S.  C.  Mnj  1.!,  1769. 

"Very  Dear  and  Affectionate  Brother:  Wiicu  I  came  to  Now 
York  I  found  that  our  business  was  not  very  plentiful  for  strangers. 
Though  there  is  a  good  deal  of  business  in  the  tovvn  it  is  entirely 
overstocked  with  trades-people  ;  but  what  added  most  lo  my  satisfac- 
tion was,  I  found  a  figw  of  the  dear  people  of  God  in  it.  There  is 
one  Mr.  Emmery,  one  of  our  preachers,  that  came  fioni  Ireland  nine 
years  ago.  Latel}'  there  were  two  that  came  from  Dublin.  They 
have  met  together,  and  tlicir  number  has  increased;  jud  tliey  have 
built  a  large  new  house,  which  cost  them  six  InnHhcd  pounds  ster- 
ling. They  are  very  poor  in  this  world.  Theycx|>ec  :is^;istance  from 
England,  but  I  often  used  to  tell  them  they  need  not.  '!nv  many  of  the 
*  Lost  Chapterii,  p.  113.  t  Sec  At)i)(iidix  E. 


454  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  Youk  City. 

people  of  England  were  very  poor  themselves;  and  they  that  had  of 
I  his  world's  goods  did  not  care  to  part  with  them.  There  is  another 
of  our  preachers  who  was  a  captain  in  the  army;  he  was  convinced 
of  the  truth  before  he  left  England :  his  name  is  Mr.  Webb.  God 
has  been  pleased  to  open  his  mouth.  So  the  Lord  carries  on  a  very 
great  work  by  these  two  men.  They  were,  however,  soon  [sore  ?] 
put  to  it  in  building  their  house:  they  made  several  collections  about 
the  town  for  it;  and  they  went  to  Philadelphia,  and  they  got  part  of 
the  money  there.     I  wrought  upon  it  six  days. 

*'  New  York  is  a  large  place :  it  has  three  places  of  worship  of 
the  Cliurch  of  England  in  it,  two  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  three  of 
the  Dutch  Church,  one  Baptist  meeting,  one  Moravian  chapel,  one 
Quakers'  meeting,  one  Jews'  synagogue,  and  one  French  Reformed 
chapel.  Among  all  these,  there  are  very  few  that  like  the  Methodists, 
The  Dutch  Calvinists  have  preached  against  them.  Many  of  the  peo- 
ple of  America  have  been  stirred  up  to  seek  the  Lord  by  Mr.  White- 
field  ;  but  what  liis  reason  could  be  for  not  forming  them  into  classes 
I  do  not  know.  Thomas  Bkll." 


APPENDIX    H. 

THE  EMBURY  BIBLE. 

This  is  an  octavo  voliuue.  nine  inches  long  by  six  and  three  quar- 
ters wide,  and  has  been  rebound.  Inside  the  cover  we  have  the  Ibl- 
k)wing  statement,  in  the  neat  hand  so  well  known  to  all  who  were 
acquainted  with  the  writer  : 

"  THE    EMBURY    BIBLE. 

"  This  precious  Book  v.as  owned  and  brought  to  this  country  by 
PMlip  Embury,  who  emigrated  from  Ireland  in  1760.  He  was  the 
First  Methodist  Preacher  in  America,  and  built  with  his  own  hands,  and 
preached  in,  the  First  Methodist  Church  on  this  Continent.  He  formed 
the  first  Methodist  Societ>'-in  the  City  o^  New  York,  and  subsequently, 
the  first  in  the  town  of  Ashgrove,  where  he  died  iu  Christian  peace 
Aug.,  1773. 

"  In  the  division  of  his  personal  effects  among  his  children.  This 
Book  fell  to  the  lot  of  his  son  Samuel,  who  removed  to  St.  Armand, 
Canada  East,  where  I  found  liira  in  1819  while  traveling  on  Duriiam 
Circuit,  and  of  whom  I  purchased  this  Priceless  Volume. 

"  Laudo  Deum  Verum.  Fitch  Reed." 


Appendix  H.  455 

The  type  is  what  is  called  bhick  letter,  or  old  English,  very  much 
like  the  Germuu  type,  and  the  paper  is  thick.     T!ie  title-page  reads: 

"  THE    BIBLE, 

translated  according  to  the  Ebrew  and  Greeke  and  conferred  with 
the  best  Translations  in  diners  Langnages.  With  most  profitable 
Annotations  upon  all  the  hard  places  and  other  things  of  great  im- 
portance as  may  appear  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Reader.  And  also  a 
most  profiiable  Concordance  for  the  ready  Ihuling  out  of  any  thing  in 
the  same  contained. 

"  ^  Imprinted  at 

"London  by  Robert  Barker 

"  Printer  to  the  King's  most 

"  Excellent  Majestie 

"1611." 

On  the  title-page  to  the  New  Testament  is  written  the  name 
"Phil.  Embury."  It  is  a  copy  of  what  is  called  tlie  Geneva  Bible,  a 
version  highh'  prized  by  the  old  Puritans,  who  clung  to  its  use  some 
time  after  King  James's  translation  was  issued.  Its  first  edition  was 
dated  1560,  and  between  that  year  and  1616  more  tlian  thirtj^  editions 
were  printed.  The  last  of  which  we  have  any  account  was  pub- 
lished in  1644.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  this  Embury  Bible  was 
printed  in  ihe  same  year  with  the  fii'st  edition  of  the  King  James,  or 
Authorized  Version. 

At  first  sight  there  appears  to  be  little  difference  between  this  and 
the  translation  we  have  been  accustomed  to  use,  but  a  closer  exami- 
nation will  reveal  many  variations  besides  the  one  observable  in  Em- 
bury's text.  It  is  the  celebrated  "  Breeches  Bible,"  so  called  because 
Gen.  iii,  7,  is  rendered,  "  They  sewed  ligge-leues  togeliier  and  made 
themselves  breeches." 

The  Rev.  Fitch  Reed,  through  whom  this  volume  came  into  the 
possession  of  the  John  Street  Church,  was  pastor  there  in  183,3-4. 
At  the  centenary  meeting,  in  1868,  he  gave  a  more  particular  ac- 
count of  the  way  in  which  he  obtained  the  book.  In  1819  he  was 
sent  to  Durham  Circuit,  Lower  Canada.  It  was  a  wild  country, 
sparsely  settled,  terrible  roads,  and  hard  fare,  with  plenty  of  wiirk. 
He  went  one  night  to  stay  with  a  family  by  the  name  of  Embury, 
not  dreaming  of  any  connection  between  them  and  Philip  Embury. 
At  bed-time  he  was  asked  to  lead  in  family  wi>rshi|),  and  a  Bible  was 
handed  to  him.  It  was  very  dilapidated — rendy  to  drop  to  pieces. 
It  was  printed  in  German  text,  and  on  the  title-page  of  the  New  Tes- 
30 


456  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

lament  he  found  tlie  name  "  Pliil.  Embury."  "  Brollier  Embury," 
said  lie,  "was  Philip  Embury  any  relaliou  to  you?"  "Why,  yes; 
lie  was  my  father,  and  I  am  the  oldest  son."  Behig  asked  to  give 
the  history  of  the  book,  he  said  his  father  brouglit  it  with  him  to  this 
country  in  1760,  that  it  was  the  only  copy  of  the  Scriptures  he  had 
till  the  day  of  his  death,  and  also  that  he  took  it  into  the  pulpit  with 
him  to  use  at  the  dedication  of  the  John  Street  Church,  taking  as  his 
text  on  that  occasion  Hos.  x,  12.  Being  asked,  "  You  have  no  doubt 
on  that  question?"  "None  at  all,"  said  he.  "I  know  it  was  so; 
and  after  his  death,  1  being  his  eldest  sou,  the  Bible  lell  to  my  lot." 
Mr.  Reed  bought  it  of  him  for  the  price  he  would  have  to  pay  for  a 
new  copy.* 


APPENDIX  1. 

EMBURY'S  LAND  PURCHASE. 

In  the  Colonial  HlKtory  of  the  Slate  of  New  York.  vol.  vii,  p.  902,  is 
to  be  found  the  following  item.  It  is  given  in  full,  as  some  of  the 
names  may  lead  to  the  discovery  of  other  facts  of  interest  in  connec- 
tion with  it: 


rJovernor's  niiine, 
and  dale  of  grant. 


i  of  the  grantees 


Situ.ation  of  the  land,  and  quality. 


Lieutenant- Philip  Embury. 
Governor  Col-:  Peter  Embury, 
den,  31st  Oct.,  Jas.  Wilson. 
1765.  Jo'  n  Wilson. 

George  Wilson. 

Moses  Cowen. 

ITliomas  Proctor. 


'Is.  %d.  per 
100  acres. 


A  tractot  land  in  the  C'  'iin- 
ty  of  Albany,  backward  of 
and  adjoining  lolandsgraiit- 
ed  to  Ryer  Scheriuethorn 
and  others,  etc.,  containing 
8,000  acres,  and  the  usual 
allowance,  f 


As  far  back,  then,  as  1765,  before  he  began  to  preach  in  New  York, 
Embury  had  been  arranging  for  a  country  home.  When  Thomas 
Ashton,  of  Dublin,  came,  in  1769,  his  attention  was  perhaps  directed 
to  the  same  neighborhood  through  Embury's  instrumentality,  and  ho 
tormed  a  settlement  near  Cambridge,  to  which  was  given  the  name 

*  Johyi  Street  Centenary  Memorial,  p.  21. 

+  "  The  tract  on  which  they  settled  was  leased  from  Hon.  James  Duane,  after- 
ward Mayor  of  New  York,  and  was  known  as  Duane's  Patent.  Tliey  were  at 
first  to  pay  annually  %\  per  100  acres  ;  afterward,  ten  bushels  of  wheat  on  the 
1st  of  February,  at  Troy.  Embury  always  paid  in  money,  and  never  came  into 
the  wheat  arrangement."— 7Vifi  MethndM,  vol.  vii,  p.  :t~'9.  How  this  state- 
ment can  be  made  to  harmonize  with  that  above  U  not  clear. 


Appendix  I.  457 

of  Asligrove.  Embury  went,  to  "  the  town  of  Salem,  in  a  section 
then  known  as  West  Camden,  a  little  to  the  south  and  west  of  Cam- 
den Valley,  and  about  six  miles  north  of  Asligrove."  *  Many  others 
of  the  Irish  Palatines,  including  David  Embury,  Paul  and  Barbara 
Heck,  the  Dulninges,  Tellers,  Laurence,  Morgan,  and  other  families 
followed. 

On   July  1,    1775,  after   Embury's  dealli,   Mrs.  Embury  sold   this 
properly  for  one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds,  f 


APPENDIX  J. 

WERE  THE  EARLY  METHODISTS  TORIES? 

XOT  long  after  the  Revolution  a  Methodist  preacher,  al  the  close  of 
a  sermon  at  White  Plains,  N.  Y.,  invited  those  who  wished  more  par- 
ticular religious  instruction  to  remain  lor  a  while.  Among  those 
who  accepted  the  invitation  was  an  old  gentleman  wlio  was  a  very 
zealous  tory.  He  liad  got  the  idea  that  Methodist  preachers  were 
employed  by  the  government  of  Great  Britain  for  political  purposes, 
and  that  if  they  succeeded  in  bringing  the  colonies  back  to  their  al- 
legiance they  were  to  receive  the  tithes  or  tenth  of  every  thing. 
Having  opened  the  meeting,  tiie  preacher  proceeded  to  question  each 
in  turn,  and  this  old  gentleman,  happening  to  be  the  first  he  ad- 
dressed, replied,  "I  am  a  friend  to  government."  Tlie  preacher  told 
him  that  he  had  nothing  to  do  with  that  subject ;  his  inquiry  related 
to  his  religious  state.  The  old  man,  supposing  he  liad  not  been  ex- 
plicit enough,  replied,  "  I  am  a  friend  to  King  George."  After  the 
preacher  had  satisfied  him  that  his  mission  was  of  a  religious  char- 
acter, and  had  nothing  to  do  with  politics,  he  took  his  hat  and  lelt 
the  room,  saying,  "  If  that  is  the  case  I  am  done  with  you."  :j: 

This  old  gentleman  was  not  alone  in  his  mistake.  The  idea  that 
the  Methodists  were  loyalists,  or  tories,  was  very  prevalent,  and  no 
doubt  often  obtained  for  them  the  favor  of  partisans  of  the  British 
government  and  Die  hostility  of  tiie  patriots.  A  paper  dated  at 
Baltimore,  May  4,  1777,  says,  "It  is  a  certain  trutli  that  all  the  de- 

*G.  G.  Saxe,  Christian  AdUDcnte,  vol.  xli,  p.  2.53. 

+  Letter  of  Rev.  B.  Havvley,  D.D.,  Cfirintian  Advocate,  vol.  Ixiii,  p.  '^40. 

i  Memoir  of  Ab.  Miller,  of  White  Plains,  by  the  Rev.  P.  P.  Sandfonl,  Chris- 
tian Advocate,  vol.  xxi,  p.  73.  See  also  Methodist  Quarterbj  Review,  1833, 
p.  206. 


458  A  History  of  jNFethodism  in  New  York  City. 

nomination  called  Methodists  (with  us)  are  enemies  to  our  cause, 
under  the  mask  of  religion,  and  are  countenanced  by  the  tories. 
One  of  their  preacliers  did  lately,  in  this  place,  tell  his  hearers  tliat 
every  man  killed  iu  battle  would  certainly  go  to  hell."  *  This  is  no 
doubt  a  misrepresentation,  but  it  must  be  admitted  that  there  was 
some  ground  for  the  opinion,  especially  as  to  New  York  city  and  its 
vicinity.  And  when  we  consider  the  facts  there  does  not  seem  to  be 
any  reason  to  be  ashamed  of  the  truth. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  no  moral  principle  was  directly  in- 
volved in  the  Eevohitionary  conflict;  the  question  was  a  political 
one.  The  American  part}^  claimed  that  the  country  was  wronged 
and  oppressed  by  the  English  government,  and  that  therefore  it  was 
right  and  wise  to  resist.  Tiie  rest  of  the  people  were  no  doubt 
divided  in  seniiment.  Some  probably  fully  sympathized  witli  the 
British  government,  and  were  willing  to  submit  to  anj-  thing  rather 
than  risk  breaking  the  ties  that  bound  them  to  tlie  land  that  still  was 
regarded  as  home.  Otiiers,  acknowledging  tliat  there  was  cause  of 
complaint,  still  hoped  that  peaceable  measures  would  bring  relief  at 
last,  and  yet  others,  as  the  Quakers  and  many  oilier  devout  Chris- 
tians, believed  it  their  dutj'  to  submit  to  any  thing  rather  than  en- 
gage in  a  civil  war.  This  maj'  have  been  timidity  in  some  cases,  but 
in  others  it  was  conscientious  abiiorrence  of  bloodslied.  Tlie  Meth- 
odists were  naturalh'  of  this  cla^=s,  though  outside  of  New  York  and 
its  vicinity  their  sympatliies  were  generally  with  the  cause  of  Amer- 
ican freedom. 

Again,  Mr.  Weslej-  was  a  zealous  loyalist,  f  His  views  were  pub- 
lished and  had  their  influence.  Most  of  the  preachers,  too,  were  but 
recently  from  the  old  country  and  generally  expected  to  return  before 
long.  If,  therefore,  the  Methodists,  next  to  tlie  members  of  the 
Cluu'cli  of  England,  were  among  the  warmest  adherents  to  the  British 
crown  it  is  cause  neither  of  surprise  nor  censure. 

And  this  is  especially  true  of  Xew  York  Methodists.  When  the 
Palatines  were  driven  out  of  Germanj'  they  were  kindly  received  by 
the  British  government  and  homes  provided  for  tiiem  in  Ireland  and 
elsewhere.  Gratitude  made  them  loyal,  and  tlieir  descendants  were 
not  to  be  censured  if  they  erred  in  that  direction.    Tiiomas  Webb  and 

*  Historical  Magazine,  1863,  p.  177. 

+  But  not  bitter  nor  obstinate.  There  Is  evidence  that  he  desired  the  gov- 
ernment to  use  milder  means,  and  that  after  the  conflict  was  over  he  wished 
his  brethren  in  America  to  "stand  fast  in  that  liberty  wherewith  God  had 
so  strangely  made  them  free."    See  Chr-ii^tian  Advocate,  vol.  Ixiii,  p.  424. 


Appendix  J.  459 

William  Luptou  had  been  officers  of  the  British  army,  and  their  alle- 
giance to  the  government  they  served  was  not  discreditable.* 

In  the  library  of  the  New  York  Historical  Society  will  be  fonnd  cop- 
ies of  the  poll-lists  for  1761,  1768,  and  1769.  We  read  there  how  James 
Jarvis,  Peter  Embury,  William  Lupton,  Henry  Newton,  David  Em- 
bury, Philip  Embury,  Paul  Heck,  Richard  Sause,  and  Thomas  Webb 
voted.  Though  the  lines  of  party  divi.sion  were  not  very  clearly 
drawn  at  those  dates  it  is  observable  that  they  voted  for  men  who, 
almost  witliout  exception,  were  afterward  prominent  loyalists. 

Now,  having  admitted  so  much,  we  must  be  allowed  to  claim  that 
many  of  the  Methodists  of  that  day,  probably  the  most  of  those  of 
native  birth,  were  true  patriots.  There  is  evidence  that  William 
Watters,  Philip  Gatch,  Richard  Ivy,  Joseph  Everett,  Thomas  Morrell, 
Thomas  Ware,  and  William  Mills  were  true-hearted  Americans,  and 
that  Asbury  was  in  heart  with  the  patriots,  f  Morrell,  it  is  well 
known,  served  faithfully  and  honorably  in  the  American  army.  The 
record  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  has  been  such  that  she  can 
well  afford  to  admit  any  such  drawbacks  as  are  implied  in  the  facts 
above  stated. 

For  many  reasons  American  Methodists  should  thank  God  for 
Francis  Asbury.  But  another  is  added  when  we  review  the  political 
question.  He  alone,  of  all  Mr.  Wesley's  earlier  missionaries  to  this 
country,  seems  to  have  rightly  understood  the  matter.  He  evidently 
became  very  soon  an  American  at  heart.  |:  Others,  as  Rankin,  Shad- 
ford,  and  Rodda,  would  not,  and  perhaps  could  not,  stay.  He  remained, 
though  compelled  to  spend  some  of  the  time  in  partial  retirement. 
His  unwillingness  to  accept  the  office  of  superintendent  without  the 
vot;e  of  the  Conference  shows  how  fidly  he  had  imbibed  the  spirit  of 
his  adopted  country.  The  Rev.  H.  Boehm,  for  some  time  his  travel- 
ing companion,  says:  "Though  he  loved  the  land  of  his  birth,  yet  he 
loved  most  ardently  the  land  of  his  adoption."  "When  I  was  with 
liiiu  in  Canada  he  said  to  me,  'England  always  had  the  wrong  foot 
foremost  in  regard  to  America.'  "  § 

Asbury's  notice  of  the  death  of  Washington  is  simply  eloquent: 
"Slow  moved  the  northern  post  on  the  eve  of  New  Year's  day,  and 

♦Watson,  in  his  Annals  of  New  York,  says  the  Methodists  were  deemed 
loyalists. 

■y  Christian  Advocate,  vol.  xxxix,  p.  3.54. 

i  May  it  not  be  that  this  was  one  cause  of  the  unfriendliness  of  Lupton  and 
Newton  ? 

§  Reminiscences  of  Rev.  H.  Boehm,  p.  iS^.  See  also  an  article  l)y  T.  V.'arc, 
in  Methodist  Qunrterly  Review,  1832,  p.  103. 


460  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

brought  the  heart-distressing  information  of  llie  death  of  Washing- 
ton, who  departed  this  hfe  December  14,  1799. 

"  Wasliington,  the  calm,  intrepid  eliief,  the  disinterested  friend, 
fiist  father  and  temporal  saviour  of  his  countr}-  under  divine  protec- 
tion and  direction!  .  .  .  Matcliless  man!  At  all  times  he  acknowl- 
edged the  providence  of  God,  and  never  was  he  ashamed  of  his 
Redeemer.  We  believe  he  died  not  fearing  death.  In  his  will  he 
ordered  the  mauimiission  of  his  slaves — a  true  son  of  liberty  in  all 
points."  * 

APPENDIX    K. 

FURNITURE  FOR  THE  PREACHERS'  HOUSE. 

"One  page  of  the  "Old  Book'"  is  headed,  "Furniture  bought  for 
the  Preaching  House."     The  list  is: 

"  ]  Bedstead  and  Safe,  £2. 

"  1  Feather  Bed,  Boulsler  and  Pillow,  f 

"  1  Safe.  X 

"Small  Furniture,  15s. 

"  Pr.  new  She^'ts.  "§ 

On  the  next  page  is  a  list  of  "Furniture  borrowed  for  the  Preach- 
ing House,  and  I'rom  whom."     It  reads: 

"4  chairs,  1  night-chair,  5  pictures,  3  tables,  pr.  And  Irons, 
Chaving-dish,  ||  Tongs  and  shovel,  and  two  Iron  pots,  from  Airs. 
Taylor. 

"1  Set. of  Bed  curtains  and  a  Suial  Looking-glass,  from  Mrs. 
Trigler.  ^ 

"  2  Blankets,  from  Mrs.  Newton. 

"  1  green  window  curtain,  from  Mrs.  Jarvis. 

"  1  green  window  curtain,  from  Mrs.  Biuinger. 

"4  Tea  spoons,  from  Mrs.  Sauce." 

Turning  over  the  leaf  we  find  "An  Acct.  of  Household  Furniture 
belonging  to  the  House  aloted  for  the  Methodists  Preachers  to  live  in 
in  New  York :  " 

*  Asbury's  Journal,  January  4,  1800. 

+  These,  according  to  the  treasurer's  account,  weighed  67  pounds,  at  2s.  4d., 
costing  £7  16s.  4d. 
t  Probably  an  error— a  repetition  of  the  first  entry. 

§  The  treasurer  records  that  these  were  11  yards  at  2s.  M.    Total,  £1  Hs.  7d. 
II  Chaflnff  or  shaving  [?]. 
1i  This  was  an  ancestress  of  Mrs.  Henry  C.  Weeks,  now  of  Bayside,  L.  I. 


Appendix  K.  401 

A  gridiron  and  pair  of  Bellows,*  from  Mrs.  Sennet. 
"  6  China  Cups  and  Saucers,  I'rom  Mrs.  Earnest. 
"  6  China  Soup  plates,  pr.  Salts,  and  Bi-ead  Basket,  from  a  friend  gone 

to  England,  f 
"  Tea  Chest  and  Canisters,  from  Mrs.  Ledbetter. 
"  Washhand  Basin  and  Bottle,  Cham'r  Pot  and  Sauce  Boat,  from 

Mrs.  Newton. 
"■^  doz.  cream-color  plates  and  a  Dish,  from  Mrs.  Jarvis. 
"  1  Dish,  Swine-glasses,  pr.  emits.  Table  Cloth  and  Towel,  from  Mrs. 

Moore. 
"  3  Burnt  China  plates,  2  Do.  cups,  4  Silver  teaspoons  and  1  picture, 

from  Mrs.  Harrison. 
"  6  knives  and  forks,  from  Mrs.  Sauce. 
"  1  Copper  Tea  Kettle,  from  Mr.  Chas.  Wliite. 
"  2  Table  Cloths,  from  Mrs.  Crosfield. 
"  1  Bed  Quilt,  from  Lupton. 

"  3  Table  Cloths,  2  Towels,  and  2  Pillow  Cases,  from  Mrs.  J.  Crook. 
"  1  Winsor  chair  and  cushion,  from  Mrs.  Heckey. 
"  3  Pictures,  from  Mr.  Newton. 
"  1  Bed  Sprey,  from  Mrs.  Ten  Eyck. 
"  Red  Rug. 
"  Knive  Box,  from  Wm.  Deane." 


APPENDIX   L. 

PREACHERS'  HOUSE. 

The  old  building,  in  antique  Dutch  style,  seen  in  the  engraving  of 
the  church  (p.  37)  which  stood  partly  in  front  of  the  chapel,  was  the 
"  Preachers'  House."  ;{:  It  was  a  small  frame  building,  one  storj^  and 
a  half  high,  with  a  basement  partly  above  ground,  which  was  the 
home  of  the  sexton,  whose  wife  generally  kept  house  for  tlie  preach- 
ers. Stairs  in  the  rear  connected  it  with  the  chapel.  It  was  a 
gloomy  place,  with  very  few  windows,  and  cold  as  a  barn  in  winter.  § 
It  was,  however,  better  furnished  than  many  a  Methodist  parsonage 
fifty  years  later.  ||     It  contained  a  small  library  for  the  preachers, 

*  How  many  now  know  what  this  article  is?       t  Perhaps  Thomas  Taylor. 
i  The  name  "  Parsonage  "  was  not  used  then  ;  indeed,  in  the  writer's  recol- 
lection, some  fifty  years  ago,  that  title  was  rather  strange  to  Methodist  ears. 
§  Wakeley's  Lost  CliaiJtcrs,  p.  2;;o.  II  Appendix  K. 


462  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

among  which  were  Prideaiix's  Connections  and  Coke's  Commentary* 
There  was  also  a  circulating  library  for  the  people,  consisting  of  re- 
ligions biographies  and  the  writings  of  Wesley,  Fletclier,  etc.  Most 
of  it  is  now  scattered,  tlioiigli  a  few  old  books  still  remain  which 
probably  belonged  to  the  original  collection.t 


APPENDIX  M. 

THE  DATES  OF   THE  ADDRESSES    OF    RELIGIOUS  BODIES 
TO  PRESIDENT  WASHIXGTOX. 

This  question  has  given  rise  to  some  discussion.  The  following  is 
the  result  of  an  examination  of  the  matter: 

In  the  Gazdte  of  the  United  States,  of  May  20,  1789,  we  have  an 
"  Address  of  the  ministers,  church  wardens,  and  vestrymen  of  the 
German  Lutheran  Congregations  in  and  near  tlie  city  of  Philadelphia." 
This  was,  therefore,  as  far  as  we  can  learn,  the  firnt  action  of  any 
church  officials  in  this  line.  Only  a  portion  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
was  represented  in  it;  Vjut  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  action  of  the 
Conference  in  New  York,  though  ihe  participation  of  the  two  bi.-^hops 
gave  it  wider  significance. 

The  address  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
then  in  session  in  Philadelphia,  representing  the  whole  of  that  body, 
is  dated  May  26  ;  that  of  the  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  New  York  city.  May  29.  Both  are  published  in  the  Ga- 
zette of  June  6,  vvjiere  it  is  said  that  the  address  of  ihe  Presbyterians 
was  presented  "yesterday;  "  but  the  date  of  the  presentation  of  tliat 
of  the  Methodists  is  not  specified.  In  the  New  York  Daily  Adver- 
tiser, however,  of  June  3,  is  the  address  of  the  Methodists,  while  that 
of  the  Presbyterians  is  not  given  until  June  8,  when  it  is  said  to  have 
been  presented  on  "'Friday  last  "  (June  5).  It  therefore  appears  that 
the  Lutherans  were  altogether  the  first ;  the  Presbyterians  the  second 
in  taking  action,  but  the  third  in  presentation;  the  Methodists  the 
third  in  action,  but  the  second  in  presentation.  A  full  account  of  the 
affair  will  be  found  in  Dr.  Bangs's  Histcyry  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  vol.  i,  pp.  280-286.  It  may  be  well  to  add  that,  as  Dr.  Coke 
embarked  for  England  on  June  5,  any  action  in  which  he  participated 
must  have  been  of  an  earlier  date. 

Mr.  Mori-ell  (Bangs's  iTi'story,  vol.  i,  p.  281)  refers  to  certain  strict- 
*  Old  Book,  Jan.  2.5,  1770.  +  Wakeley's  L<^st  0\apter»,  p.  229. 


Appendix  ]\I.  403 

ures  on  Dr.  Cuke's  connection  with  the  matter.  No  donbt  he  had  in 
view  the  followin.s;  communication.  It  is  in  the  Dailtj  Advertiser  of 
June  n,  1789.  The  italics  and  tlie  spelling  of  Mr.  Wesley's  name 
are  given  as  found. 

■'to  the  printer. 

"Sir:  Observing  ilie  name  of  Thomas  Coke  to  an  address  to  the 
President  assuming  the  title  of  Bishop  of  tlie  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  America,  I  beg  leave  to  inquire,  through  tlie  medium  of 
your  paper,  of  ^ome  well-informed  and  patriotic  member  of  that 
Church,  whetlier  Bishop  Coke  was  the  same  man  that  was  known  in 
England  by  the  name  of  Doctor  Coke,  and  particularly  during  the  war 
by  tlie  name  of  Ut,le  Dr.  Coke,  and  who  was  connected  with  and  an 
assistant  to  Mr.  John  Wesly,  boili  in  the  pidpit,  pen,  and  press,  when 
he  preached  and  wrote  most  vehemently  against  the  Rebels,  as  they 
then  thought  proper  to  term  us  ?  I  am  induced  to  this  inquiry  from 
a  regard  to  consistencj'  and  tlie  interests  of  religion.  If  the  same 
little  Dr.  Coke  I  refer  to  has  translated  himself  from  Mr.  Weshfs  so- 
cieties iu  England  to  the  Bishopric  of  the  Metliodist  Episcopal  Church 
in  America,  he  ought  to  give  us  full  proof  of  his  political  conversion. 
Doctor  Coke  in  England  taught  the  highest  7b?-?/  doctrine — the  king  was 
the  Lord's  anointed,  and  our  righteous  resistance,  although  sanctioned 
by  the  wisest  and  best  citizens  of  that  country,  was,  in  liis  opinion,  Re- 
lidlion.  He  supported  Mr.  John  Wesley  m  all  that  he  chose  to  advance 
in  support  of  Lord  Nortli's  a&mxm^XTiiXion.  The  sword  and  desolation 
was  liis  motto— ;/b?-  America;  and  it  was  of  the  king  and  ministers' 
mercy  that  the  advocates  of  America  in  England  were  not  consumed. 

•'If  Bishop  Coke  is  this  snme  Doctor  Coke,  no  American,  but  a  Brit- 
ish subject,  uniformly  opposed  to  us  in  principle  and  conduct  througli 
the  whole  of  the  war,  is  it  not  the  extreme  of  hypocrisy  for  such  a  man 
to  take  the  lead  of  the  Episcopalians  in  an  address  to  the  President  of 
our  republican  Government?         I  am  sir,  A >f  Inquirer. 

^^  June  16." 

To  this  there  is  an  answer  on  June  19,  nearly  a  column  long,  by 
"  A  Member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,"  who  says  he  was 
not  a  member  during  the  war.  He  admits  that  it  is  the  same  little 
Doctor  Coke,  but  as  to  the  doctor's  present  sentiments  he  refers; 

1.  To  the  twenty-third  Article  of  Religion  in  the  Discipline  brought 
over  by  Dr.  Coke  for  adoption  at  the  Christmas  Conference.  It  relates 
to  the  rulers  of  the  United  Slates. 

2.  To  tlie  liturgy,  of  which  he  was  also  the  bearer,  containing  a 
prayer  for  "the  supreme  rulers  of  the  United  States." 


4(i4  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

3.  To  tlie  doctor's  own  extemporaneous  prayers. 

4.  To  sermons  preached  by  him  in  the  city,  and  one  in  particular 
on  "the  commencement  of  the  millennial  year." 

On  June  24  "  Inquirer  "  replies  to  tlie  length  of  more  tlian  a  column. 
He  admits  the  loyalty  to  America  of  many  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  In  a  postscript  he  asks,  "  When,  where,  and  by 
whom  Dr.  Colo  and  Mr.  A sbury  received  episcopal  consecration?" 


APPENDIX    N. 


CLASSES  m  FP^BRUARY,  1793.* 

Only  two  of  these  classes  are  mixed.  Nearly  one  half  of  tliem  meet 
on  Sunday,  and  two  of  these  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning.  Only 
three  meet  iu  the  evening,  except  those  held  aftei'  preaching. 

WIlITt:    CLASSES. 


c 

Days  of 

Mketing. 

Leaders'  Na.mes. 

Sex. 

1 

Sunday^ 

Abraham  Russel.. 

Male. 

o 

,., 

>i 

.3 

.. 

Wm.  Cooper 

.> 

4 

"      

Jonas  Humbert.. . 

'"' 

5 

"      .... 

Wm.  Valleau+.... 

" 

6 

Wm.  Henry...   . 

" 

7 

" 

Dan'l  Carpenter  $ 

Female. 

"      .... 

George  Courtney. 

Male. 

H 

Monday 

Henry  Newton.... 

Female. 

y 

Peter  McLean 

10 

"        .... 

John  Cooper 

" 

11 

Tuesday 

John  Bleecker 

** 

la 

Philip  Aroularius. 

" 

13 

John  Staples 

Male. 

14 

Wednesday. 

Daniel  Coutani... 

Female. 

15 

" 

John  Staples 

William  Cooper.. 

" 

16  Thursday  . . 

John  Sprosen 

Female. 

17|      >' 

John  Bleecker §.. 

" 

18       " 

Wm.  Grant 

Mixt. 

i       " 

Dan  Carpenter... 

Female. 

19  Friday  .... 

Andrew  Mercein. 

** 

•20 

*' 

A  bra.  Brower  . . . 

" 

Time  and  Place  of  Meeting. 


Old  church,  7  o'clock  winter,  6  in 
summer 

Old  church,  8  winter,  7  In  the 
summer 

Bro.  Sands,  9  o'clock 

Old  church,  aftermorning  preach- 
ing  

New     church,     after     morning 
preaching  

Mr.     Daniel's    school-house,    2 
o'clock 

In  y*  poor  House  at  4  o'clock . . . 

New  church,  before  preaching. 

Old  church,  .3  o'clock 

Old  church.  4  In  winter,  5  in  sum- 
mer  

Mrs.  Coftman,  4  o'clock 

Old  church,  3  o'clock 

Mrs.  Gethen,  4  o'clock 

After  preachinfT 

New  church,  4  o'clock 

After  preaching 

Near  his  own  house,  4  o'clock.. 

Old  church,  3  o'clock .   

4  o'clock,  old  church — 

F.vfnin.ir  at  Bro.  ('rum's 

Female.  Thursday  at  Catharine  Holly's, 

4  winter,  5  in  summer,  old  church 


Class  of  men  and  women  at  2  mile  stone  met  by  Win.  Valleau  Wednes- 
day evening 


22 

18 
29 

29 

29 

14 

18 

27 

25 
29 
33 
22 
21 
23 
35 
45 
31 
31 
30 

33 

12 

23 
579 


*  From  Book  i,  B,  pp.  56,  57. 

X  Erased  and  Moses  West  written  over. 


t  Erased  and  Elias  Vanderlip  written  over. 
§  Erased  and  Valleau  written  over. 


Appendix  N. 


465 


COLORED  CLASSES. 


Days  of 

Mketing. 


Sunday. 


Leaders'  Names. 


J  no.  D;ivis. 


Corn's  Warner.. 
Joseph  Rice 


Monday . . . 


Robert  A.  Cuddy 
Elias  Vanderlip* 
G.  Courtney +  ... 


Sex. 


Female 


Time  and  Place  of  Meeting. 


Evening,  old  church,  in  the  sum- 
mer, new  church 


At  his  school-house  in  the  morn- 
ing  


Preachinghouse  in  the  afternoon 
Old  church  in  the  evening.   


Total  31  Feb.,  1793. 


Total  Aug.  24,  1?93,  whites 639 

"     blacks 154 

T,Aa\  'i'93 


n 

18 

16 
24 
33 
35 

143 

723 


APPENDIX    O. 

LIST  OF  THE  CLA.SSES,  LP^ADRRS'  NAMES,  AND  WHEN 
THEY  MEET,  TAKEN  SEPTEMBER  8,  1802,  BY  THOMAS 
MORRELL.  X 

There  are  forty-six  classes  (No.  35  being  repeated),  and  as  at  tlie 
preceding  Conference  937  members  were  reported  this  will  give  an 
average  of  rather  more  than  twenty  to  a  class.  All,  with  two  excep- 
tions, were  exclusively  either  male  or  female.  Both  of  these  were  at 
the  two-mile  stone,  and  have  the  same  leader— Vark.  Besides  these 
there  were,  of  the  whites,  13  composed  of  men  and  23  of  women;  of 
colored,  4  of  men  and  7  of  women — in  both  cases  nearly  twice  as  many 
female  as  male  classes.  Five  leaders  have  each  two  classes.  About 
one  third  of  them  also  meet  at  private  houses,  and  only  five  were  held 
in  the  evening.  Twenty-four  met  on  Sunday;  one  at  6  A.  M.  and 
three  at  7  A.  M. 

WHITE   CLASSES. 


Days  of 
Z    Meeting. 


Leaders' 
Names. 


Sex. 


Sunday 1  Van  Wyck. .    Male. 

Cooper I      " 

Davis Female, 


lGilman§.. 
Hick 


Male. 


Time  and  Place  op  Meeting. 


*  Erased  and  Paul  Hick  written  over. 
>  From  Book  ii,  pp.  2,  3. 


Old  church,  7  o'clock,  morning. 

His  work-shop,  Bowerv,  9  o'clock,  morning. 

Corner  of  Fayette  &  Henry  Street,  9  o'clock, 

morning. 
Bowery  school-house,  9  o'clock,  mornmg. 
Division  Street,  9  o'clock,  morning. 

t  Erased  and  Israel  Disosway  written  over. 
§  Erased  and  Redstone  written  over. 


466  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 


n 

Days  of 

Leaders' 

Sex. 

Time  and  Place  of  Meeting. 

Z 

Meeting. 

0 

Sunday 

Praul 

Male.  ! 

At  Bro.  Jaqulsh's,  9  o'clock. 

7. 

" 

Mead 

it 

At  Bro.  Lion's,  9  o'clock. 

8 

" 

Ketchum... 

" 

Sorth  Church,  9  o'clock. 

9 

" 

Henry 

" 

Bowery  school,  noon. 

10 
11 

..      

Jeffery*.... 
Russell 

.. 

Bowery  Church,  noon, 
John  Street  Church,  noon. 

12 

Elsworth.  . 

»i 

North  Church,  noon. 

13 

Carpenter. . 

" 

John  Street  Church,  4  o'clock,  afternoon. 

14 

" 

VarK 

2  mile  stone. 

15 

" 

Praul 

Female. 

Bowerv  Church,  4  o'clock. 

Ifi 

" 

Lion... 

"" 

Second  Street,  at  Forrest's.  1  o'clock. 

17 

Monday .... 

Cooper 

Women 

Bro.  Lvons,  Fisher  Street,  3  o'clock. 

18 

Dugalls 

Pump  Street,  4  o'clock. 

19 

" 

Smiths 

Old  church,  4  o'clock. 

30 

" 

Barney  t . . . 

North  Cluirch,  3  o'clock. 

21 

" 

Hick 

Davis's,  3  o'clock. 

22 

" 

Savres  

No.  5  Barclay  Street. 

23 

Tuesday — 

Stilwell 

Hanuan  Street.  Price's,  3  o'clock. 

34 

Fowler 

Bowery  Church,  4  o'clock. 

25 

" 

Browers$... 

Old  church,  3  o'clock. 

26 

Wednesday. 

Arcularius.. 

Old  church,  4  o'clock. 

W 

Knight 

North  Church,  5  o'clock. 

28 

" 

Stags 

No.  91  Harman  Street,  4  o'clock. 

?9 

" 

Bonsall 

Old  church,  3  o'clock. 

sn 

" 

Dawson 

Bowerv  Church,  3  o'clock. 

81 

Thursday  . , 

Gilman's... 

North  Church,  2  o'clock. 

3'? 

Mead's 

" 

Bowerv  Church,  4  0  clock. 

33 

«t 

Preacher's  . 

OM  church,  3  o'clock. 

34 

Friday 

Marsh 

Old  church,  evening,  after  preaching. 

35 

Vark 

Both. 

Meets  at  church  2  uiile  stone,  evening. 

COLORED    CLASSES. 

35  Sunday 

Sipkins 

Men.    Old  church,  6  o'clock,  morning. 

36 

'* 

Pointiers... 

Peter  Williams,  7  o'clock,  morning. 

37 

" 

Thompsons. 

African  Church,  7  o'clock,  morning. 

38 

"      

Cooks 

Women  Evans,   near  African  Church,  4  o'clock, 
[    afternoon. 

39 

'^      

Collins 

"       iSchool-house,    No.    13    Barclay    Street,    4 
o'clock,  afternoon. 

40 

" 

Miller 

African  Church,  4  o'clock,  afternoon. 

41 

Scott 

Men.    African  Church,  noon. 

43 

Marsh 

Women  No.  45  Ann  Street,  Dinah  Forbes,  4  o'clock, 
1    afternoon. 

43 

Tuesday. . . . 

Matthison.. 

;01d  church,  evening. 

44 

Parks 

"       !  Bowery  Church,  evening. 

45  Thursday  . . 

Barney  §.. . . 

"       Old  church,  evening. 

APPENDIX   P. 

OFFICIAL   MEMBERS. 
This  list  of  class-leaders  seems  to  have  been  made  in  tbe  fall  of  1812, 
and  is  in  Book  viii,  latter  part. 


Those  marked  thus  *  have  been 


*  Erased  and  Shepherd  written  over. 
X  Erased  and  Mercein  written  over. 


t  Erased  and  Jefferies  written  over. 
§  Erased  ajid  Myers  written  over. 


Appendix  P. 


467 


cros?;ed  off,  and  if  a  new  name  is  substituted  it  is  given  here  in  brack- 
ets, after  the  original: 

George  Inness,* 

George  Piiilips, 

Simeon  Price, 

Jolin  Inness,* 

David  Crawford. 

Nathaniel  Tucker,* 

John  G.  Totten, 

Jacob  Bolmore, 

Benjamin  Farrington, 

Christian  Bonrdett,* 

Safety  Magee, 

Edward  Hopper,* 

Aaron  Baldwin, 

Gilbert  Coutant, 

John  Vander  Pool, 

Stephen  Dando, 

Peter  "Westerfield, 

John  Bartine, 

David  Woolle}^ 

Weat  Munson, 

Laban  Clark,* 

[G.  W.  Pittman,] 

Peter  Crosthwaite,* 

James  N.  Hyde, 

Peter  Cokeleet, 

Palpii  Floyt, 

J:nnes  Collins, 
Abraham  Coddington,    Thomas  Griffcii.* 
Josepli  Piggdt,  William  Moseman. 

Samuel  Hopping,  Lancaster  S.  Burling, 

There  are  also,  in  Book  x.  page  2,  etc.,  a  list  of  trustees,  local 
preachers,  and  exhorters ;  in  Book  xiii.  A,  a  list  of  class-leaders 
(about  one  hundred)  without  date,  but  from  internal  evidence  prior  to 
the  Stilwellite  secession ;  on  page  15  of  the  same  book  a  list  of  local 
preachers  in  1820,  and  page  16  a  list  of  stewards. 

On  page  17  we  have  a  register  of  the  names  of  the  clas.s-leaders 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Ciairch  in  New  York,  A.  D.  1820. 

"Leaders'  meeting,  either  in  sections  or  general,  on  the  second  Mon- 
day evening  ever}'  month. 


Abraham  Russel, 
John  Davies, 
Samuel  Sears,* 
[Wm.  Barton,] 
Thomas  Carpenter, 
Robert  Tolfree,* 
Cornelius  Polhemus, 
Philip  Arcularius, 
William  Mead,* 
James  Shepherd, 
Charles  Gilman, 
Israel  Disosway,* 
Abram  Hart, 
Paul  Hick, 
Samuel  Elsworth, 
Joseph  Smith, 
David  Renney,* 
John  Shaw, 
Joseph  Graham, 
Samuel  Stilwell, 
Peter  Parks, 
Chance}'  Carter, 
John  Westfield, 
Edward  Sturma'n, 
James  Donaldson, 
George  Taylor, 
Abraham  Knapp, 


George  Pine,* 
Thomas  Eames, 
Nathaniel  Coit, 
John  M.  Sliatsel.* 
Joshua  Marsden.* 
Eliphalet  Wheeler, 
Andrew  Wheeler, 
William  Evins, 
R.  Mathison, 
James  Demarest, 

Wiley, 

James  Shepherd,* 

Paradise. 

James  Oystou, 
Thos.  Pitts. 

J.  P.  Morris, 
S.  Goodrich, 
G.  Van  Cott, 
Martin, 

Bukewell, 

A.  McDougall, 
Wm.  Collins, 

Sutton, 

Thos.  Whitlock, 
Wm.  Carter.* 

[- Hawley,] 

H.  Stilf  s, 

John  B.  Buckmaster, 
Wm.  Carter, 
Nath'l  C.  Hart. 


468  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City, 

"  In  leaders'  raeeting,  1.  Stewards  receive  the  class-money.  2.  Who 
among  the  probationers  may  be  admitted  (more  particularly  in  tlie 
sectional  leaders'  meeting).  3.  Inquire  into  the  state  of  the  classes, 
absentees,  etc.  4.  Slate  of  the  leaders'  minds  and  manner  of  meeting 
class.  No  debating,  nor  any  vote  taken  except  when  there  may  be  an 
application  for  license  to  exhort.  Preacher  gives  advice.  So  I  under- 
stand Disciphne.  Aaron  Hunt." 

A  list  of  class-leaders  which  follows  seems  to  liave  been  made  out 
shortly  after  the  Siilwellite  secession.  In  the  same  book  also  are 
rolls  of  the  Quarterly  Conference  for  1824,  1826,  1827,  1828,  1829,  and 
1831,  this  last  being  the  latest  in  which  the  whole  city  was  in  one 
circuit. 


APPENDIX   Q. 

METHODIST  WORSHIP   IN   NEW   YORK   CITY   SIXTY-FIYE 
YEARS   AGO.     . 

Methodism  has  not  changed  as  to  doctrine ;  her  discipline  and 
usages  remain  substantially  the  same;  and  yet  there  is  sufficient  dif- 
ference iu  the  aspect  and  services  of  a  worshiping  congregation  to 
give  interest  to  a  description  of  them  as  they  were  some  sixty-five 
years  ago.  Let  us  suppose  it  about  tlie  year  1825.  The  engravings 
of  John  Street  and  Duane  Street  churches  will  give  an  idea  of  what 
a  Methodist  meeting-house  lonked  like  then.  They  were  perfectly 
plain,  perhaps  a  little  gloomy  in  aspect,  by  reason  of  the  dark-colored 
stucco  with  which  their  stone  walls  were  coated.  At  least  this  was 
the  case  with  the  four  larger  ones,  namely,  John  Street,  Forsyth 
Street,  Duaue  Street,  and  Allen  Street;  Bowery  Yillage  (now 
Seventh  Street)  and  Greenwich  Yillage  (now  Bedford  Street)  were 
small  frame  buildings.  The  interior  walls  were  whitevvjished,  but 
kept  neat  by  the  frequent  use  of  lime  and  brnsli.  The  wood- 
work of  the  pulpit  and  gallery  fronts  and  supporting  columns  was 
also  white.  The  seats  were  slate-colored  or  drab,  or  in  some  cases 
a  dark  green  with  chocolate  or  mahogany-colored  trimmings  on  the 
top.*  The  floor  was  uncarpeted,  sometimes  sanded;  on  the  aliar 
and  pulpit  stairs  there  was  generally  a  plain  carpet.  Light  was  fur- 
nished by  lamps  in  which  sperm  oil  was  burned.  In  the  altar  were 
two  settees,   usually  wooden- seated,  and  a  few  chairs,  and  a  plain 

*  In  John  Street  the  trimmings  were  of  mahogany,  the  material  being  a 
donation. 


Appendix  Q.  469 

table,  perhaps  of  mahogany  or  dierry,*  as  were  also  the  altar-rail  and 
book-board.  In  most  cases  the  pulpit  was  liigh,  resting  on  one  pillar, 
and  was  reached  by  a  tlight  of  steps  generally  on  one  side  only;  it 
was  also  small,  giving  but  little  room  for  any  but  the  officiating  minister. 
A  tall  eight-sificd  goblet,  with  three  sides  removed,  will  give  a  good 
idea  of  its  appearance.  In  some  cases  there  was  a  sounding-board 
over  the  pulpit,  looking  like  a  great  extinguisher,  but  with  a  fiat  sur- 
face beneath.f  The  book-board  was  without  a  cushion,  and  on  it 
rested  a  Bible  and  hymn-book,  neitlier  of  them  gilt-edged.  The  win- 
dows were  generally  furnished  with  green  outside  blinds,  and  in 
some  cases  on  the  men's  side  there  were  between  them  rows  of  pegs 
on  which  hats  could  be  hung.  A  clock  was  attached  to  the  gallery 
opposite  the  pulpit,  and  behind  it  sat  the  choir,  the  most  of  whom 
were  members  of  the  society. 

The  Discipline  of  the  Church  at  that  time  contained  the  following 
question  and  answer:  "Is  there  any  exception  to  the  rule,  'Let  the 
men  and  women  sit  apart  ?  '  There  is  no  exception.  Let  tliem  sit  apart 
in  all  our  churclies."  The  middle  aisle,  if  there  was  one,  or  a  par- 
tition half-way  between  the  two  aisles,  was  a  dividing  line  over  which 
neither  sex  dared  to  trespass.  If  in  tlie  course  of  the  services  a  man 
jgnorantly  or  intentionally  seated  himself  on  the  women's  side  the 
sexton  or  one  of  the  trustees  would  go  to  him  even  in  the  middle  of 
the  sermon  and  ask  him  to  go  to  his  proper  place.  The  women's 
side  would  frequently  be  crowded,  while  there  were  vacant  seats 
among  the  men,  but  the  rule  must  not  be  relaxed.  In  the  writer's 
earliest  recollection  of  the  old  Duane  Street  Church  two  or  three  of  the 
front  seats  on  the  male  side  were  for  some  time  occupied  by  women, 
and  he  supposed  that  this  had  been  permitted  to  relieve  the  over- 
crowding of  the  ladies,  until  one  day  he  lieard  from  the  pulp't  a  notice 
that  the  practice  must  cease,  and  the  sheep  of  the  feminine  gender 
return  to  their  own  part  of  the  fold.  Husband  and  wife  could  walk 
together  to  the  church,  but  must  then  separate,  enter  at  different 
doors,  get  seats  perhaps  in  distant  parts  of  the  house,  and  be  seriously 
annoyed  in  finding  each  other  at  the  close  of  the  services,  especially 
in  the  evening.  This  rule  of  separation  was  carried  so  far  that  in  at 
least  one  case  tlie  door-yard  in  front  was  divided  by  a  fence,  and 

*  The  first  communion-table  with  a  marble  top  in  any  Methodist  church  iu 
tbe  city  was  seen  at  the  dedication  of  the  house  in  Greene  Street.  It  was  a 
Kift,  but  was  a  "  stone  of  stumbling  and  rock  of  offense  "  to  some. 

+  The  pulpit  of  the  second  John  Street  Church,  however,  was  lower,  largei', 
and  had  no  sounding-board. 


470  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  York  City. 

under  the  end  gallery  a  liigh  partition  prevented  all  communication 
between  the  sexes.  The  seats  in  the  corners  on  each  side  of  the  pul- 
pit being  generally  occupied  by  aged  and  prominent  members  who 
responded  pretty  heartily  lo  the  services,  these  were  known  as  the 
"Amen"  corners.  The  congregations  were  generally  large,  benches 
being  often  needed  in  the  aisles,  and  the  pulpit  stairs  and  altar  filled, 
and  the  kneeling-board  around  the  altar  occupied  by  children. 

The  Methodists  of  that  day  were  plain  in  apparel.  Many  of  tlie 
men,  especially  the  older  ones,  wore  straight  coats  and  white  cravats 
without  any  knot  in  front.  What  were  called  Quaker  or  coal-scuttle 
bonnets,  made  of  drab  or  black  silk  or  satin,  were  the  head-gear  of 
the  older  si.-ters;  the  younger  wore  plain  straw  or  other  material,  of 
simple  shape,  and  without  flower  or  featlier  or  bow  or  any  ribbon 
except  what  was  necessary  for  tics.  Simple  neatness  was  tlio  gen- 
eral rule. 

There  were  three  sermons  on  the  Lord's  day,  at  10:30  A.  M.,  at 
3  P.  M.,  and  in  the  evening  at  6:.30  in  the  winter.  7:30  in  the  summer, 
and  7  in  the  fall  and  spring  The  afternoon  congregations  were  at 
least  as  large  as  any.  Sunday-school  met  at  9  A.  M.  and  1::!0  P.  il.. 
and  the  children  occupied  the  galleries  with  their  leacluTs  at  both  the 
morning  and  afternoon  services,  i.nlcss  especially  excused  at  the 
request  of  their  parents.  Week-evening  services  were  half  an  hour 
later  than  lliose  of  Sunday,  varying  also  with  the  .season.  These? 
were  a  praj-er-meeting,  generally  on  Wednesday  evening,  a  sermon  or 
lecture  on  some  otner  evening,  differing  in  tiie  different  churches,  and 
class-meetings  on  most  of  the  other  evenings. 

As  the  hour  of  worship  approached  the  people  began  to  pour  in, 
bringing  their  hymn-books  with  them,  as  they  had  no  private  pews  in 
which  to' leave  them.  Every  member  bowed  the  head  for  a  few 
moments  in  silent  prayer.  Just  before  the  time  of  beginning,  the 
Sunday-school  could  be  heard  tramping  up  the  gallery  stairs,  of 
course  not  as  quietly  as  might  be.  The  chorister  look  his  place, 
perhaps  first  leaning  over  the  front  of  the  gallery  to  compare  his 
watch  with  tiie  clock,  and,  if  he  thought  the  latter  incorrect,  setting 
it  to  the  right  moment.  Not  unfrequeutly  a  hynni  or  set  piece 
would  be  sung  by  the  choir  while  the  congregati'.n  was  gathering. 
If  a  new  preacher  was  to  occupy  tlie  pulpit,  especially  if  he  were 
one  the  people  were  pleased  with,  he  was  likely  to  be  greeted 
as  he  entered  with  the  verses  beginning,  ''Welcome,  welcome! 
blessed  servant,"  etc.  After  kneeling  in  the  pulpit  lie  arose  and 
selected  the  hymns  and  lessons.     The  hymn  was  announced  by  the 


Ai'i'iiNDix  Q.  471 

page,  not  the  number,  as  all  the  books,  however  varying  in  size, 
were  paged  alike;  even  some  spurious  or  unofficial  editions,  though 
introducing  some  additional  hymns,  were  arranged  so  that  the  first 
lilies  would  fall  on  the  same  page,  as  in  tiie  authorized  collection. 
The  hymn  having  been  read,  the  congregation  rose,  and  under  the 
leadership  of  the  choir  began  the  service  of  praise.  No  instrument 
was  used ;  even  a  tuning-fork  in  the  hands  of  the  chorister  had  to  be 
handled  quietly.  Tlie  liymns  were  apt  to  be  of  a  triumphant,  joyous 
tone,  such  as,  "  Come,  ye  that  love  the  Lord,"  "How  happy  are  they," 
"  Arise,  my  soul,  arise,"  "  0  for  a  thousand  tongues,  to  sing,"  etc.  The 
tunes  were  of  the  same  class.  Majesty,  Lenox,  IsTonhfield,  etc.  The 
music  might  not  please  the  ear  of  a  scientific  critic,  but  as  worship 
it  was  hearty,  and  Methodist  singing  was  an  attraction  in  those  days. 
Sometimes  there  was  a  balk  in  starting,  and  two  or  three  efforts 
might  bo  made  before  all  went  on  smoothly,  and  the  pitch  might 
not  be  exactly  correct,  but  serious  embarrassment  did  not  often 
occur.  No  list  of  hymns  had  been  given  to  the  choir,  and  they  and 
tlic  congregation  did  not  know  what  was  to  be  sung  until  the 
preacher  announced  it.  That  all  might  be  able  to  join,  and  as  some 
liad  no  books,  it  was  the  practice  to  line  the  hymns,  sometimes 
even  to  that  extent  as  to  divide  the  verses,  the  preacher  reading 
two  lines,  and,  when  the  congregation  had  sung  tiiem,  reading  two 
more.  This  practice  is  still  continued  in  the  Southern  States,  espe- 
cially among  the  colored  people,  and  also  in  England.  At  the  time, 
liowever,  of  whicli  we  are  now  speaking  it  was  customary  to  read 
only  the  first  two  lines  of  each  verse  in  the  opening  and  closing 
hymn ;  the  second  was  not  lined,  and  the  congregation  remained 
seated  while  it  was  sung.  The  last  two  lines  of  a  hymn  were 
generally  repeated,  and  when  the  tune  required  such  a  repetition 
these  lines  would  be  sung  four  times  or  more.  The  prayer  tliat 
followed  would  be  earnest,  importunate,  and  expressed  in  words  and 
tones  which  implied  faith  that  it  would  be  answered.  Unless  it  was 
exceedingly^  spiritless  it  was  responded  to  with  loud  ameus,  and 
perhaps  with  shouts  of  gladness.  The  people  bowed  their  lieads 
while  it  was  offered,  and  many  of  them  knelt  on  the  floor.  The  Script- 
ure lessons  followed,  another  hymn  was  sung,  the  congregation  sit- 
ting, and  then  tiie  sermon  began. 

The  idea  that  Methodist  preaching  in  those  days  was  of  an 
exceedingly  hortatory  character,  though  in  some  respects  correct, 
must  be  received  with  much  allowance.  Very  solid  doctrinal  ser- 
mons were  often  preached,  in  which  Scripture  was  largely  quoted, 

n 


472  A  History  of  Methodism  ix  New  Yokk  City. 

witli  frequent  reference  to  chapter  and  verse.  Many  were  of  a  po- 
lemical or  controversial  tone.  Calvinism  in  its  unadulterated  form 
was  still  taught  in  many  pulpits,  and  the  minds  of  the  people  were 
often  bewildered  and  their  spiritual  welfare  periled  by  questions 
concerning  decrees,  foreknowledge,  election,  and  reprobation  and 
perseverance.  Old  Methodists  enjoyed  it  when  their  preachers  gave 
these  errors  a  shrewd  and  hearty  blow,  and  shouted  almost  as  much 
over  the  defeat  of  John  Calvin  as  over  the  conversion  of  souls, 
l)ecause  they  believed  the  one  would  prepare  the  way  for  the  other. 
Still,  a  sermon  that  was  enjoyable  and  profitable  then  would  be 
about  as  well  received  now.  There  were  more  uneducated  men  in 
the  ministry  then,  but  there  were  many  who  would  compare  favor- 
ably with  the  best  of  our  day. 

Generally  the  attention  of  the  hearers  was  at  least  as  close  and 
respectful  as  now,  but  there  were  some  interruptions  to  which  our 
cougre.uations  at  present  are  not  liable.  Children  of  all  ages  were 
brought  to  church ;  little  ones  but  a  few  months  old  not  un frequently, 
and  sometimes  the  crying  of  a  strong-lunged  babe  would  almost  drown 
the  voice  of  the  preaclier  and  seriously  disturb  the  attention  of  the 
audiei  ce.  Older  children  would  be  restless,  and  father  or  mother  or 
broilior  or  sister  would  take  them  out  and  wait  in  the  lobby  until  the 
services  were  over.  Some  mischievous  boy  in  tlie  gallery  would, 
perhaps  accidentally,  though  as  likely  as  not  intentionally,  drop  a 
penny  or  a  marble  which  would  roll  down  from  step  to  step,  dis- 
tinctly heard  in  every  part  of  the  house.  Human  nature  in  the 
young  was  the  same  then  as  now,  and  Sunday-school  teachers  or 
sextons  had  to  reprove  and  perhaps  pull  tlie  ears  of  some  talkative 
or  giggling  boy  or  girl.  The  fainting  of  some  person  in  the  congre- 
gation was  a  more  frequent  occurrence;  crowded  houses  and  perhaps 
not  as  good  ventilation  being  the  cause.  Sometimes,  loo,  as  was  the 
case  in  earlier  days,  Satan,  in  the  person  of  some  of  his  children, 
came  also  when  the  sons  of  God  were  gathered  together  and  tried  to 
annoy  them.  But  generally  the  sermon  flowed  on  without  interrup- 
tion to  its  close.  And  that  close  was  not  reached  as  soon  then.  A 
sermon  only  half  an  hour  long,  except  in  the  evening,  when  a  prayer- 
meeting  was  to  be  held,  was  a  rarity.  Three  foiuths  of  an  hour  was 
the  usual  time,  and  it  was  more  likely  to  exceed  than  fall  short  of 
that.  Sometimes  an  exhortation  would  follow  the  sermon,  and  the 
morning  congregation  not  be  dismissed  until  half  past  twelve. 

The   sermon  was  not  followed  immediately  by  a  prayer,  as  now. 
Tlic  col'ection  was  taken,  during  which  the  choir  generally  sang  a 


Appendix  Q.  473 

piece  of  their  own  selection,  tlie  notices  were  given,  another  hymn 
was  sung,  the  congregation  standing,  and  a  prayer,  frequently  of 
some  lengili,  followed,  closed  with  the  benediction  while  all  were  on 
their  knees.  This  order  of  exercises  was  invariable:  the  time  had 
not  yet  come  when  each  congregation  did  that  which  was  right  in 
its  own  eyes. 

Tlie  evening  sermon,  at  least  in  the  winter,  when  the  hour  of  opening 
was  earlier,  was  generally  followed  by  a  prayer-meeting.  Sometimes 
the  congregation  would  be  regularly  dismissed,  so  that  all  who  wished 
could  retire,  but  more  frequently  a  hymn  was  started,  and  while  it 
was  sung  the  brethren  came  into  the  altar,  seekers  were  invited  for- 
ward, and  it  was  a  disappointment  if  there  were  no  conversions. 

At  the  foot  of  Duane  Street,  on  the  North  River,  stood  the  hay- 
scales,  and  in  their  neighborhood  was  the  house  of  fire-engine 
No.  1,  known  among  school-boys  as  -'Old  Hayseed."  Almost  in- 
variably as  soon  as  the  prayer-meeting  in  the  Duane  Street  Church 
had  got  fairly  started  an  alarm  of  fire  would  be  raised,  and  "  Old 
Hayseed"  would  be  rattled  past  the  door  at  an  imusually  rapid  pace 
and  with  extra  shouting  by  the  company.  In  a  few  moments  she 
would  return  in  the  same  style.  There  was  no  fire,  but  the  Meth- 
odist meeting  must  be  disturbed. 

Class-meetings  were  held  in  the  basement  or  at  private  houses  on 
week  evenings  or  afternoons  and  at  various  hours  on  Sunday.  Tlie.se 
were  generally  either  all  male  or  all  female.  Sometimes,  especially  in  the 
summer,  prayer-meetings  were  held  at  five  or  six  o'clock  in  the  morning 
on  the  Lord's  day,  and  in  some  cases  on  week-days.  The  old  custom 
of  preaching  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  so  strenuously  maintained 
by  Wesley,  had  fallen  into  disuse,  but  was  occasionally  practiced.  " 

In  seasons  of  great  excitement  prayer-meetings  would  be  in  prog- 
ress at  the  same  time  in  different  parts  of  the  house,  circles  having 
gathered  about  two  or  three  or  more  seekers.  This  was  the  usual 
custom  before  the  practice  of  inviting  to  the  altar  was  introduced, 
and,  thongh  generally  abandoned,  was  sometimes  renewed  in  seasons 
of  extraordinary  interest.  Watch-nights  were  usually  held  in  all  tlie 
churches,  and  were  expected  to  be  services  of  unusual  solemnitj'. 
Sometimes  they  were  kept  up  all  night,  the  exercises  being  at  the 
church  until  after  twelve  o'clock,  when  they  were  frequently  ad- 
journed to  a  private  house. 

On  Christmas  eve,  after  midnight,  some  of  the  choirs  would  ser- 
enade the  preachers  and  other  official  and  favorite  members  of  the 
church. 


474  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 
APPENDIX   R. 

EXTRACTS  FROM  ACCOUNTS  OF  STEWARDS,  1827  TO  1831. 

The  estimating  committee  in  1827  were  Tliomas  Roby,  John  C. 
Totten,  Nathaniel  Jurvis,  James  B.  Oal<ley,  Thomas  Fairweather,  and 
Robert  Mathison.     Tlieir  report  was,  for 

Thomas  Burch $800 

Nicliolas    Wiiite 750 

Robert   Seney 580 

Juhus    Field 550 

John  J.  Matthias 510 

Noah  Levings 550 

Rev.  L.  Claris  P.  E 239 

$3,979 
During  each  of   tlie   following  years  there  is  generally  an  increase 
in  the  estimates. 

We  get  glimpses  also  of  the  old  system  under  which  our  fathers 
worked.  Then  the  Discipline  provided  that  each  preacher  should  re- 
ceive what  was  called  quarterage,  amounting  to  $100  for  liimself,  the 
same  amount  for  his  wife,  $16  for  each  child  under  seven  years  of 
at^e,  and  $24  for  each  over  seven  and  under  fourteen.  This  left  to 
the  estimating  committee  only  the  duty  of  fixing  the  amount  to  be 
paid  for  the  table  expenses  of  the  family.  The  committee  of  1828 
resolved  that  the  weekly  allowance  for  each  preacher  for  board  be 
two  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  and  the  same  for  his  wife;  for  each 
child  under  seven  years  of  age  eighty  cents,  and  each  over  seven 
and  under  fourteen  one  dollar.  It  was  also  resolved  that  forty-eight 
weeks  should  constitute  the  year  (the  General  Conference  had  met 
that  year,  thus  throwing  the  New  York  Conference  about  four  weeks 
later  than  usual).  So,  taking  the  case  of  one  of  the  preachers  for  that 
year,  we  have : 

Salary.  Board.  Total. 

Rev. and  wife $200  00  $240  00  $440  00 

4  children  under  7  years 64  00  153  60  217  60 

1  child  over  7  and  under  14 24  00  48  00  72  00 

Allowance  for  wood ....  ....  60  00 

Miscellaneous  expenses ....  ....  90  40 

$880  00 
This  was  the  largest  allowance  for  that  year;  the  lowest  was  $525, 
to  a  preacher  who  had  no  children. 

Tiie  receipts  were  by   quarterly  and  class  collections.     The  quar- 


Appendix  R. 


475 


terly  cullections  varied  from  ;ibout  $340  to  $5;!0 ;  once  tliey  were 
only'  $216,  but  only  half  tlie  churches  reported.  John  Street  was 
generally  the  largest  contributor,  once  paying  in  more  than  $140, 
but  Allen,  Forsj'tli,  and  Duane  followed  closely,  and  sometimes  Allen 
Street  stood  first.  The  class  collections  varied  from  $150  to  $440  a 
month,  and  tlie  different  churches  gave  in  about  the  same  proportion 
as  in  the  quarterly  collection.     The  income  for  1827-8  was: 

Class  cohections $2,989  00 

Quarterly  collections 1.675  67 


Total $4,664  67 

In  1828-9  the  income  was: 

Class  collections $2,849  99 

Quarterly  collections 1,751  06 


Total $4,601  05 

In  1829-30  we  have  a  printed  report,  a  copy  of  which  is  given. 
There  is  no  report  for  1830-1. 

Report  of  the  Stewards  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
FROM  June,  1829,  to  May,  1830,  inclusive: 


Class  Cullections. 

June 

July 

August 

September 

Oclober 

November 

December 

January 

February  

March 

April 


Quarterly  Collections. 

July $259  43 

October 481    50 

January 410  69 

April 456  54 


$257 

44 

304 

21 

269 

47 

240 

43 

307 

06 

321 

39 

369 

16 

307 

29 

288 

14 

291 

84 

384 

44 

$3,339 

87 

-  1,708 

16 

$5,048 

03 

payments, 
Rev.  Samuel  Luckey. 

"     Coles  Carpenter. 

"     Jesse  Hunt 

"      Heniari  Bangs. . 

"      George  Coles. . . 

"      Samuel  D.  Fergu 
son 

"     D.  Ostrander,  P.E 
Preachers'        expenses 

attending  Conference 

and    moving    to    the 

city 

Stationery,   including 

class-books. .... 
Furniture,  etc.  .  . . 
Counterfeit  bill .  . , 


$852 

80 

830 

00 

690 

60 

889 

20 

709 

60 

520 

00 

31. -J 

00 

87  99 


Balance 
count. 


to     new    ac- 


36 

61 

63 

95 

3 

00 

$5,011 

75 

36 

28 

$5,048 

03 

Errors  excepted. 

John  C.  Totten,  Treasurer. 


476  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

APPENDIX  S. 

THE  PREACHERS'  MEETING. 

As  soon  as  tliere  were  two  or  more  preachers  stationed  in  the  city 
they  would  naturally  meet  occasionall}^  for  consultation.  These  meet- 
ings no  doubt  gradually  became  regular,  but  it  is  not  likely  that  at  Hrst 
any  records  were  kept.  But  there  are  still  in  existence  the  minutes 
of  an  association  of  the  stationed  and  local  preachers  "for  conversa- 
tion and  mutual  improvement  on  moral  and  religious  subjects."  These 
began  January  22,  1817,  and  the  association  consisted  at  first  of  the  fol- 
lowing preachers:  Daniel  Ostrander,  Joshua  Soule,  William  Thacher, 
Luman  Andrus,  Arnold  Scliolefield,  Thomas  Mason,  Joel  Ketchnm, 
Mitchell  B.Bull,  Jonathan  Lyon,  John  Hih,  Jesse  Merritt,  James  Collins, 
M.  H.  Smith,  Ebenezer  Washburn,  Samuel  Merwin,  Benjamin  Griffon, 
John  Daulton,  Nathan  Banes,  Seth  Crowell,  Samuel  Howe,  Nicholas 
Morris,  Jr.,  John  Boyd,  Joseph  Santford,  Horace  Barilett,  Aaron 
Himt,  WiUiam  (properly  Billy)  Hibbard,  Tobias  Spicer.  The  names 
of  Laban  Clark,  Thomas  Thorp,  Humphrey  Humphries,  and  Freeborn 
Garrettson  were  added  later.  The  meetings  were  held  on  Wednes- 
daj-  evening,  at  the  parsonage  in  Forsyth  Street,  and  a  chairman  and 
secretary  were  elected  at  each  meeting.  The  last  record  is  dated 
August  18,  1819.  With  the  exception  of  some  action  as  to  the  hour 
of  closing  evening  services  and  in  regard  to  the  Wesleyan  Seminary 
the  proceedings  seem  to  have  been  altogether  of  a  literary  character. 
It  is  probable,  therefore,  that  the  meetings  for  church  matters  were 
still  held,  most  likely  on  Saturday  mornings. 

Two  small  books  contain  the  minutes  of  these  business  meetings 
from  July  3,  1824,  until  the  division  of  the  city  into  two  circuits,  and 
those  of  the  East  Circuit  until  May  1.3,  1837.  The  sessions  were 
held  on  Saturday  at  9  A.  M.,  generally  at  the  house  of  the  preacher 
in  charge,  and  were  attended  only  by  tlie  traveling  preachers  of  the 
city,  with  occasional  visitors.  A  copy  of  the  order  of  business 
will  give  the  best  view  of  their  character:  1.  Probationers  received. 
2.  Transfers.  3.  Received  by  Certificate.  4.  Removed  by  Cer- 
tificate. 5.  Deaths.  6.  Vacant  classes.  7.  Disorderly  persons  and 
complaints.  8.  Notices.  9.  Appointments.  10.  Withdrawn.  11.  Ex- 
pulsions. 12.  Classes  met.  Slight  changes  in  the  order,  etc.,  were 
made  from  time  to  time,  but  the  programme  was  substantially 
the  snme. 


Appendix  S.  477 

A  few  extracts  from  the  record  will  illustrate  the  Methodism  of 
the  day. 

The  first  meeting  was  at  the  parsonage  iu  Forsyth  Street,  on  Satur- 
day, July  3,  1824.  There  were  present,  Peter  P.  Sandford  (in  charge), 
P.  Rice,  T.  Mason,  J.  B.  Stratten,  E.  Brown  (S.  Bushnell,  sick) ;  also 
L.  Clark,  P.  E.  T.  Mason  was  elected  secretary.  The  following  order 
of  service  in  public  worship  was  agreed  on.  Morning.  1.  Lesson  from 
the  Old  Testament.  2.  Singing  and  prayer.  3.  Lesson  from  tlie  New 
Testament.  4.  Sing  a  few  verses.  5.  Preach.  6.  Sing.  7.  Pray  and 
pronounce  the  benediction.  The  Lord's  Prayer  to  be  used  uniformly 
in  the  morning  service.  The  lessons  may  be  omitted  on  sacramental 
occasions.  Afternoon  same  as  the  morning,  omitting  the  second  lesson 
and  the  Lord's  Prayer  (if  you  choose).  Evening  the  same,  omitting 
lessons  and  Lord's  Prayer.  At  the  meeting  of  July  10  it  was  "  agreed 
tliat  it  is  not  expedient  in  general  to  preach  funeral  sermons,  and 
when  they  are  preached  to  be  done  by  the  preacher  in  his  regular 
course,  except  in  some  special  cases,"  etc.  On  June  3,  1826,  this 
resolution  was  renewed,  and  it  was  also  "agreed  that  baptisms  be 
attended  to  uniformly  in  the  afternoon,  before  preaching,  and  that  it 
is  inexpedient  to  baptize  infants  without  a  certificate."  *  And  on 
January  30,  1830,  it  was  resolved  to  preach  no  funeral  sermons 
except  for  aged  official  members  and  aged  matrons.  On  Feburary 
27,  1830,  the  meeting  disapproved  of  holding  sessions  of  Sunday- 
schools  during  the  hours  of  public  service.f  In  the  minutes  of 
August  28,  1830,  S.  D.  Ferguson,  the  secretary,  has  writien  opposite 
the  names  of  S.  Luckey,  S.  Merwin,  and  H.  Bangs,  "  gone  to  college." 
They  were  probably  attending  some  meeting  in  regard  to  the  Wes- 
leyan  University  at  Middletown.  On  January  8,  1830,  D.  Ayrts,  E.  J. 
Moore,  and  J.  L.  Phelps  proposed  a  plan  for  raising  funds  for  the 
superannuated  preachers,  etc. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  close  rein  kept  on  the  preachers  it  Wbs 
resolved  at  the  meeting  of  September  10,  1831,  "  chat  Rev.  C.  Prindlo 
be  permitted  to  attend  a  four-days'  meeting  this  week  on  New 
Rochelle  circuit,  and  that  if  Brother  Washburn  supplies  his  appoint- 
ments in  tlie  city  he  be  permitted  also  to  spend  the  Sabbath  on  said 
circuit.  Carried  unanimously.  Resolved,  also,  that  Rev.  S.  Landon  be 
and  is  hereby  authorized  to  accompany  the  presiding  elder  to  Long 
Island  next  Sabbath,  provided  he  gets  his  appointments  filled  in  the 
city  satisfactorily.  Carried  unanimously."  In  preparing  for  the  dedi- 
cation of  the  second  Forsyth  Street  Church,  in  1833,  the  board  of 
*  See  p.  193.  +  See  p.  208. 


478  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

trustees  took  measures  to  invite  certain  preachers  to  officiate,  which 
led  the  preachers'  meeting  to  vote  that  they  had  "  transcended  tiieir 
powers,  and  that  the  preacliers  feel  it  their  duty  not  to  accede  to  thur 
arrangements."— Minutes  of  September  21,  1833.  When,  in  1832, 
the  city  was  divided  into  two  circuits,  of  course  two  meetings  were 
held,  and  when,  a  few  years  after,  the  churches  became  -separate 
charges,  a  general  meeting,  but  altogether  of  an  unofficial  character, 
was  recommenced.  The  stationed  preachers  of  the  city  met  on  Satur- 
day, as  before,  for  consultation,  exchanges  were  arranged  and  notices 
distributed,  and  essays  and  debates  introduced,  as  in  the  meetings 
begun  in  1817.  Finally  tlie  day  was  changed  to  Monday,  preachers 
from  other  places  admitted,  and  the  meeting  gradually  assumed  its 
present  character.  It  is  now  "composed  of  such  traveling  preachers 
of  the  Methodist  Kpiscopal  Church  and  such  local  preachers  having 
charge  as  may  live  in  New  York  city  or  vicinity,  and  shall  sign  the 
article  of  organizaiion,"  etc.  Its  officers  are  selected  from  the  New 
York,  New  York  East,  and  Newark  Conferences  alternately. 


APPENDIX  T. 

PRINTED    PLANS   OF   APPOINTMENTS. 

What  was  the  date  of  the  first  printed  plan  we  cannot  ascertain, 
but  tlie  first  of  those  given  below  must  have  been  one  of  the  earliest, 
and  the  other  is  certainly  the  last  for  the  united  city.  The  copy  of  the 
first  IS  found  pasted  on  the  inside  of  the  cover  of  the  book  numbered 
10,  and  is  signed  Daniel  Ostrander,  August  31,  1816.  It  includes 
only  seven  Sundays,  tlie  last  being  a  repetition  of  the  first,  and  begin- 
ning another  round,  as  is  shown  by  certain  figures  at  the  bottom  of 
tlie  table,  which  it  has  not  been  thouglit  necessary  to  print.  Nor  are 
all  the  churches  given.  Two  were  thought  sufficient.  There  are  six 
on  the  plan,  namely,  John  Street,  Second  (Forsyth)  Street,  Fourth 
(Allen)  Street,  Two  Mile  Stone  (Seventh  Street),  Greenwich  (Bed- 
ford Street),  and  Duane  Street.  There  were  five  stationed  preachers, 
and  the  tliree  additional  sermons  were  by  the  book  agents,  Soulo 
and  Mason,  and  J.  Lyon,  a  located  preacher.  Other  local  preachers 
were  no  doubt  called  into  service  when  the  stationed  preachers  were 
filling  the  outside  appointments  mentioned  in  the  second  note,  or 
Were  unwell. 


Appendix  T. 


4T9 


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480  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

Tlie  other  (for  wliich  the  writer  is  indebted  to  D.  T.  Macfarlan,  Esq., 
of  Yoiikers  N.  Y.)  is  headed  •'  A  plan  of  appointmeuts  for  the  preach- 
ers on  the  Xew  York  Circuit,  from  May,  1831,  to  June,  1832.  Hours 
of  service  at  half  past  teu  o'clock  in  tlie  morning  and  tliree  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon;  in  the  evening  at  half  past  six  o'clock  until  the 
1st  of  March;  thence  to  the  1st  of  April,  at  seven  o'clock;  and 
thereafter  at  half  past  seven  o'clock.  Week-day  evenings  always 
half  an  hour  later  than  the  Sabbath."  Two  months  only  are  given  as 
sufficient  to  show  its  character: 


Months 

— 

JUNE. 

July. 

Sabbaths 

1 

2 

3 

4 

1 

2 

3 

* 

5 

John  Street < 

M. 
A. 
E. 

7 
8 
9 

11 

1 
2 

1 
9 
3 

2 
3 
4 

3 
4 
5 

4 
5 
6 

10 
6 

7 

6 

7 
8 

7 
S 

11 

Forsyth  Street ■< 

M. 
A. 

E. 

6 

7 
8 

7 
8 
9 

10 
1 
2 

1 

16 
3 

2 
3 

4 

3 
4 
5 

9 
5 
6 

5 
6 

7 

10 

7 

8 

Willett  Street ■< 

M. 
A. 
E. 

5 

6 

6 

8 

7 
8 
19 

8 
9 
2 

1 
2 
U 

2 
3 

4 

3 
4 
5 

4 
5 
6 

5 
6 

7 

Allen  Street < 

M. 
A. 
E. 

4 
5 
6 

5 
6 

0 
7 

8 

7 

8 

25 

8 

1 
2 

1 
16 
3 

2 
3 
4 

3 

4 
5 

4 
9 
6 

Bowery  Village  * -< 

M. 
A. 
E. 

a 

4 
5 

4 
5 
6 

5 
6 

7 

6 
8 

10 
8 
19 

8 
1 
2 

1 
14 
3 

2 
3 
4 

3 
4 
5 

Greenwich  Village  + -1 

M. 
A. 
E. 

2 
3 

4 

10 
4 
5 

4 
5 
6 

5 
6 

6 
8 

I 

11 

8 
1 
2 

1 

11 
3 

2 
3 

4 

Broadway  Hall i  . .          ,...■{ 

M. 
A. 
E. 

10 
2 
3 

2 
3 

4 

3 

4 

5 

10 
5 
6 

7 

6 

7 
8 

7 
8 
11 

8 
1 
2 

1 
9t 

3 

Duane  Street ■{ 

M. 
A. 
E. 

8 
1 
3 

1 
19 
3 

2 
3 
4 

3 
4 
5 

4 
5 
6 

10 
6 

7 

6 

7 
8 

7 
8 
9 

8 
1 

2 

Upper  Greenwich  § •< 

M. 
A. 

E. 

1 
28 
24 

22 
24 
16 

13 
2x 

26 
21 
22 

28 

24 

3 

27 
28 
25 

4 
16 
19 

21 
26 
22 

28 
5x 
24 

Manhattan  Island . .  ( 

M. 
A. 

E. 

M. 
A. 

21 

18 

27 

14 
19 

8 
26 
20 

27 

24 

28 
29 

18 

14 

27 
28 

17 

1 

9x 
20 

26 

21 
26 
22 

13 

28 
24 
27 

25 

23 

10 
28 

'2 

16 

or                               ■< 
Second  Street | 

14 
90 

House  of  Refuge j 

18 

*  Now  Seventh  Street. 

$  Afterward  Greene  Street,  now  Asbury. 


t  Now  Bedford  Street. 
§  Now  Eighteenth  Street. 


Appendix  T.  481 

In  the  right-haud  margin  is  the  list  of  the  preachers,  traveling  and 
local,  given  below,  with  their  numbers  as  on  the  plan.  The  homes  of 
the  traveling  preachers  only  are  printed  here.  The  work  of  the  local 
preachers  was  mainly  in  the  outskirts.  A  little  study  of  the  figures 
will  show  that  llie  various  planets  revolve  in  regular  orbits  and  at 
stated  periods: 

D.  Ostrunder,  P.  E.,  81  Amos  Street. 

1.  S.  Merwin,  12  Forsyth  Street.     14.  N.  U.  Tompkins. 

2.  L.  Pease,  216  Duane  Street.         15.  P.  CrandaU. 

3.  S.  Martindale,  Bowery,  4  doors    16.  J.  CoUard. 

above  Vauxhall  Garden.  17.  W.  Manning. 

4.  B.  Goodsell,  Willett  Street.  18.  A.  Piggott. 

5.  S.  Laiidon,  38  Bayard  Street.  19.  Doctor  T.  S.  Barrett. 

6.  J.  Clark,  43  John  Street.  20.  W.  Burnet. 

7.  B.  Sillick,  130  Allen  Street.  21.  N.  Whitehead. 

8.  C.  Prindle,  69  Bedford  Street.  22.  J.  G.  Kent. 

9.  N.  Bangs,  48  Rivington  Street.  23.  Rice  Roof. 

10.  J.  Emory,  corner  ot  Bank  and    24.  M.  Standish. 

Washington  Streets.  25.  Doctor  D.  M.  Reese. 

11.  B.    Waugh,     14     Hamersley    26.  W.  Lomas. 

Street.  27.  R.  Anderson. 

12.  W.  Plioebus.  28.  F.  D.  Macfarlan,  Jr. 

13.  M.  H.  Smit'i.  29.  A.  Cuninghim. 

Week-evening  preaching:  Tuesday  evenings  at  Duane  and  Allen 
Streets;  Thursday  evenings  at  Forsyth  Street  and  Greenwich;  Fri- 
day evenings  at  John  Street,  Willett  Street,  Bowery  Village,  and 
Broadwaj'  Hall. 

Sacrament  in  all  our  churches  (except  Upper  Greenwich  and  Man- 
hattan Island)  on  the  second  Sabbatli  of  each  month. 

Quarterly  collection  on  the  first  Sabbath  in  July,  October,  Januar}-, 
and  April. 

Preparatory  meeting  of  the  stewards  and  leaders  belonging  to  the 
several  churclxes  on  the  first  Monday  evening  of  each  month. 

Leaders'  meeting  on  the  second  Monday  evening  of  each  month. 

X  stands  for  sacrament  at  Upper  Greenwich  and  Manhattan  Island. 
Baptism  on  the  afternoon  of  the  first  Sabbath  of  each  month. 

( Printed  and  sold  by  J.  C.  Totten,  No.  9  Bowery.) 


482  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

APPENDIX     U. 

LOVE-FEAST  TICKETS,  ETC. 

"Were  a  Methodist  of  the  early  part  of  the  century  to  visit  the 
church  at  this  day  he  would  perceive  many  changes,  but  none,  per- 
haps, that  would  seem  of  so  serious  a  character  as  in  the  matter  of 
class-meetings,  love-feasts,  and  band-meetings.  These  last  were,  it  is 
true,  falling  out  of  use,  and  the  section  of  the  Discipline  which  treated 
of  them  was  taken  out  in  1 856 ;  but  sixty-five  years  ago  they  were  still 
in  existence.  They  were  composed  of  "  two.or  three  or  four  true  be- 
lievers, who  have  confidence  in  each  other,"  and  "all  must  be  men,  or 
all  women,  and  all  married,  or  all  unmarried."  Their  meetings  were  to 
be  seasons  of  most  thorough  confession  and  closest  Christian  fellow- 
sliip.*  They  were  never  obligatory  on  the  members,  and  were  gen- 
erally regarded  as  means  to  be  used  by  those  who  were  especially 
zealous  for  tiic  highest  religious  experience.  But  attendance  on 
class-meeting  was  a  necessary  condition  of  membership,  and  the 
names  of  (hose  who  neglected  this  were  soon  removed  from  the 
record.  As  a  testimonial  of  their  faithfulness  in  this  respect  they  re- 
ceived tickets  once  a  quarter,  without  which  they  could  not  gain  ad- 
mission to  the  love-feasts.  Of  these  tickets  Dr.Wakeley  gives  a  num- 
ber oi  facsimiles,  some  of  which  are  here  reproduced,  with  additions. 

The  first  we  give  is  found  on  page  195  of  Dr.  Wakeley's  Lost 
Chajiters,  etc.,  and  is  written  : 

October  1,  1769. 
Psalm  cxlvii,  11. 

The  Lord  taketh  pleasure   in  them  that  fear 
him :  in  those  that  hope  in  his  mercy. 

Hannah  Dean,  "75. 
Roht.  Williams.         N.  York. 

The  signature  in  Dr.  Wakeley's  book  is  a  facsimile.  The  Hannah 
Dean  to  whom  it  was  given  became  Mrs.  Paul  Hick.  Dr.  Wakeley 
(p.  195)  says  "  the  tradition  in  Mr.  Hick's  family  is  that  these  figures 
(75)  represent  the  luimber  of  members  in  society  at  that  date."  Is  it 
not  more  likely  that  the  tickets  were  numbered,  partly  to  prevent  im- 
position, as  some  might  get  up  counterfeits  to  gain  access  to  a  Meth- 
odist love-feast?  On  page  415,  however,  we  have  a  printed  ticket, 
which  is  dated  a  month  earlier.  Shortly  after  Mr.  Boardman  came 
*  See  Discipline  previous  to  1856. 


Appendix  U.  483 

tickets  were  printed  (see  Old  Book,  March  31,  1770),  and  tlie  next  is 
probably  one  of  these  and  is  one  of  the  first  surviving  of  a  series  which 

?^»;«»;«  »K<»Kox<»x<»:«  »:<<»;«»x<»;«  »:«»k<»!«»x<i£ 

?f  May,   '74.  ^ 

^       Believe  in  the  Lord  your  God,  so  shall  you  ^ 

^  be    established  ;    believe   his   Projiliets,    so  ^ 

^  shall  ye  prosper.  ^ 

k        2  Chro.  XX :  20.  B         ^ 

^  ^ 

^  Hannah  Dean.  ^ 

•i»!«»x<»;«  >x<»!«»;«»;«  »;«»;« ^>;«»;«»x<  >ykc^K»i<  r 

continued  almof-t  unchanged  for  more  than  seventh'  years.  Some  time 
between  Maj',  '74,  and  April  10,  1775,  Hannah  Dean  became  Hannah 
Hick;  but  the  Scripture  moito  on  her  ticket  of  tlie  last  date  is  J;he 
same.  In  1785,  w^e  are  told,  the  style  of  the  t'ckets  was  changed; 
thej'  bore  the  name  of  the  seasons  (spring,  summer,  etc.)  instead  of 
the  months.  This  continued  until  1 793  ;  then  they  varied  for  a  few 
years,  and  then  returned  to  the  use  of  the  seasons.  The  two  given 
below  are  of  this  period — they  bear  the  name  of  Rebecca  Burling,  the 

^  TIT  ,.,n,  (t  ^  AUTUMX,    1800. 

ff  March,  1794.        IS       ^        ^       .  ,     .       , 

T\  XT       •   ^,  ^   1   ■        \v        ?*         But  loy  Cometh   m   the 

CJ  Xow  IS  the  accepted  time.  U       ^  . 

%  2  Pop   vi    2       ^        S     ™°"^'"g- 

jy  ^  ^'^^-  ^''  ^-     ^       "^  Psalm  XXX,  5. 

J^  Rtbtkah  Burling,     w        ^  Rebecca  Burling. 


■^ 


wife  of  the  well-known  and  highly-honored  Lancaster  S.  Burling.    That 
of  Hannah  Hick  in  1801  varies  a  little  in  appearance  from  those  before. 

C.  AUTUMN,  1801.  a 

Salvation  is  of  the  Lord.  ^ 

Jonah  ii.  9.  ^ 

Hannah  Hick.  S 

After  some  years  it  became  customary  for  citiier  the  leader  or 
preacher  to  sign  the  ticket.*     Some  time  before  1824  a  different  sys- 
*  See  Wakeley's  iost  Chapters,  pp.  420-433. 


484  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

tem  of  dating  was  introduced.  Instead  of  the  seasons  it  was  1st  qr., 
2nd  qr.,  etc.,  these  quarters  being,  not  of  the  civil,  but  the  Conference 
year,  as  will  be  seen  on  the  ne.xt  ticket.     This  is  of  the  3rd  qr.,  Jan., 

4.>*>  <— >  <— >  <-»>  <— >  <— >  <— >  <— >  <:«->  <— >  <— >  <•*>  <♦*>  <— >  <«-»>^ 

t  'i 

V'  Elisa  Seaman.  )( 

I  t 

X         The  light  of  the  body  is  the  eje;  if  therefore  X 

■^  tliine  eye  be  single,  thy  whole  body  shall  be  full  "'' 

I  of  light.     Matt,  vi,  22.  | 

I  3  Qr.,  Jan.,  1842.  | 

I  B.  Griffen.  % 

4'<-->  <«-►>  <«->  <♦*>  <♦*>  <— >  <— >  <«->  <-»>  <— >  <♦♦>  <— >  <♦*>  <♦♦>  <♦*>+ 

1842,  and  is  among  the  last  of  the  old  form.  In  July  of  the  same  year 
it  appeared  as  here  given,  and  since  then  has  undergone  no  change. 


^  Eliza  Seaman,  Member. 

%  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH.  f 

%  FOUNDED  A.  D.   1784.  ^ 

"^  -  ^ 

og  QUARTERLY  TICKET,  JULY,  1842.  |^ 

^  So 

<^  B.  Griffen,  Minister.    ^ 

^    He  shall  deliver  thee  in  six  troubles,  yea,  in  seven    ^ 

°l?  there  shall  no  evil  touch  thee. — Job  v,  19.  ^ 

°5  Though  troubles  assail,  and  dangers  affright,  3° 

°f)  Though  friends  should  all  fail,  and  foes  all  unite,  ^ 

°^  Yet  one  thing  secures  us,  whatever  hetide,  «° 

'^  The  promise  assures  us,  the  Lord  will  provide.  3° 


The  regulations  as  to  love-feasts  were  very  strict.  They  were  held 
quarterly  and  with  closed  doors.  Any  person  not  a  member  might 
secure  admission  once  or  twice  by  getting  a  permit  from  the  preacher 
in  charge.  At  a  stated  time  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  after  the 
hour  of  opening  (or  after  the  bread  and  water  had  been  distributed) 
the  doors  were  closed,  and  even  leaders  or  preachers  coming  then 
were  liable  to  be  excluded.  This  was  to  prevent  the  meeting  being 
disturbed  by  late  comers. 

It  was  the  custom  with  some  to  break  ofE  little  crumbs  of  the  bread 


Appendix  U.  485 

and  pass  them  to  those  sitting  near,  and  receive  the  same  in  ex- 
change. This  practice  had  notliing  to  recommend  it,  and  was  some- 
times repulsive,  especially  when  a  good  sister's  fingers  bore  traces  of 
the  suuff  she  had  been  using. 


APPENDIX    V. 

SKXTONS. 


The  first  sexton  of  John  Street  Church  of  whom  we  have  any 
record  was  John  Murphey.  Some  time  before  July,  1770,  he  re- 
ceived £1  12s.  "for  taking  care  of  the  house."  The  second  was 
Belthazer  Creamer,  to  whom  a  payment  was  made  before  November 
26,  1770.  It  is  said  he  was  a  kind  of  police  officer  or  constable.* 
Two  receipts  from  him  are  in  the  "  Old  Book,"  the  signatures  to 
which  are  in  a  good,  bold  business  hand.  From  them  it  appears  that 
he  received  £18  55.  yearly.  As  late  as  January  28,  1779,  we  have 
an  entry,  "  To  cash  paid  Creamer  for  Jiis  Negro's  attendance  as  sex- 
ton for  Uiree  months  and  three  weeks,  £2  lOs.  8d"  f 

Robert  Duncan  was  afterward  sexton,  but  whether  immediately 
after  Creamer  or  while  Peter  "Williams  was  absent  during  the  war  jj.  is 
not  clear.  The  name  of  Duncan  does  not  occur  in  the  accounts  in 
the  '•  Old  Book,"  but  that  may  be  because  there  is  no  full  record  of 
items  of  expenditure  from  May,  1774,  to  May,  1778.  Then,  under 
date  of  May  15,  we  have,  "To  cash  paid  Peter  the  sexton  from  class 
collections  April  13,  1776,  £?,  10,?.§  Mr.  Duncan  was  a  native  of 
England,  where  he  married  Elizabeth  Thomson.  Both  of  them  were 
members  of  the  Weslej'-an  Society.  They  emigrated  to  this  country 
before  the  Revolutionary  War,  were  wrecked  on  their  passage  near 
Nova  Scotia,  and  after  much  difficulty  reached  New  York.  The 
society  in  John  Street,  having  been  frequently  imposed  upon  by  per- 

*  Shoi't  Uiftoricnl  Account,  p.  6. 

+  In  the  interval  Peter  Williams,  of  whom  we  shall  speak  presently,  acted  as 
sexton  a  part  of  the  time.  Perhaps  he  is  the  one  referred  to  in  Creamer's  last 
reoeipt.  and  was  afterward  sold  to  Mr.  Aymar.  During  part  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  he  lived  near  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  with  the  Durham  family,  his 
wife  beinjT  their  servant,  having  come  with  them  from  St.  Christopher's.  Mr. 
Aymar's  nnme  does  not  appear  in  ccmnection  with  that  of  Peter  until  June  10, 
1783,  when  the  trustees  bought  him  for  forty  pounds ;  but  of  that  hereafter. 

i  Wakeley's  Lout  ChnyAerK,  p.  430.    ShoH  Hbitoi-ical  Accrnint,  p.  6. 

§  If  this  was  Peter  Williams  it  would  indicate  that  lie  was  sexton  until  the 
spring  of  1776. 


486  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

sons  from  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  were  shy  of  them  at  tirst ; 
but  after  they  presented  their  certificates  gave  llieni  a  cordial  wel- 
come. "While  sexton  he  resided  in  the  parsonage.  He  was  a  poor 
man,  but  exceedingly  useful,  and  so  much  respected  for  his  deep 
piety  that  those  who  wished  instruction  in  spiritual  things  would  often 
say,  "Come,  let  us  go  and  see  Robert."  During  the  war,  so  great 
was  their  confidence  in  his  honesty,  many  Methodist  families  in- 
trusted to  him  their  valuables,  which  he  placed  in  the  vaults  among 
the  coffins,  where  they  were  kept  safely.  He  died  of  bilious  fever, 
near  the  close  of  the  war,  at  the  old  parsonage.  As  he  passed  away 
he  shouted, '•  Victory !  victory!  Glory  to  God  !  I  have  gained  the 
victory  at  last !  "  Samuel  Spraggs  and  John  Mann,  the  two  preach- 
ers, who  were  both  with  him,  immediately  began  to  sing,  "  Rejoice, 
for  a  brother  deceased,"  etc. 

Mrs.  Duncan  was  an  excehent  singer,  as  was  also  her  daughter 
Elizabeth.  Elizabeth's  sweet  voice,  attractive  person,  and  amiable 
spirit,  won  the  heart  of  Abraliara  Wilson,  Jr.,  whose  father,  a 
wealthy  business  man,  wished  him  to  marry  a  young  lady  of  property 
and  position  in  society.  Tlie  father  did  not  oppose,  and  found  that 
his  son  had  a  good  wife.  Abraham  Wilson,  Jr.,  died  in  Norualk, 
Conn.,  and  his  widow,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six,  in  Xew  Jersey. 
Their  oldest  daughter  married  Jonathan  Griffith,  who  was  for  a  long 
time  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  at  Elizabethtown,  N.  J. 
His  son  is  the  Rev.  Edward  M.  Griffith,  and  a  daughter  is  the  wife  of 
Rev  Francis  Asbury  Morrell,  son  of  Rev.  Thomas  Morrell,  both  of 
the  Newark  Conference.  Who  immediately  succeeded  Duncan  is  not 
known.  There  are  two  entries  in  the  "Old  Book"  of  payments  to 
"  Joseph,  the  sexton,"  dated  August  7,  1778,  and  Marcli  17,  1779,  and 
after  that  for  a  year  the  record  is  simpl}^,  "Paid  sexton,'"  etc.;  but 
on  April  17,  1780,  we  read,  "Cash  paid  Peter,  As."  Then  we  have 
payments  "  to  sexton,"  interspersed  with  two  to  "  Richard,  sexton," 
until  November  20,  1782.  In  the  following  June  the  purchase  of 
Peter  Williams  was  made,  and  for  some  time  there  are  no  records  of 
payments  for  sextons'  services.  Peter  had  become  the  property  of 
the  Church,  and  as  such  it  was  entitled  to  his  services,  but  as  ilie 
amount  paid  by  him  does  not  quite  reach  forty  pounds,  it  is  likely 
the  difference  was  credited  to  him  for  his  labor.  He  made  his  last 
payment  for  his  freedom  on  November  4,  1785.  Two  more  entries 
follow,  the  last  of  which  is  June  15,  1787,  "Paid  Peter  Williams  in 
full  for  last  year's  service,  £1  1 2s.  Od.''  There  are  two  more  payments 
to  him,  it  is  true,  but  these  are  for  "Schuyler,  the  sexton,"  and  then 


Appendix  V.  487 

Peter's  name  disappears  from  the  account  of  payments  for  sexton's 
services ;  but  on  the  opposite  page,  where  money  received  is  entered, 
we  luive  credits  to  him  for  burial  fees  as  late  as  August,  1795,  and  the 
records  of  the  '-Old  Book"  close  witli  September  of  that  year. 

Of  "  Joseph  "  and  "  Richard  ''  we  can  learn  nothing.  The  custom 
prevalent  then  of  using  only  one  name  for  colored  people  gives  ground 
for  supposing  that  they  were  of  that  race.  If  so,  however  worthy 
they  may  have  been,  their  fame  is  eclipsed  by  that  of  their  fellow- 
African,  wiio  shines  so  brightly,  that  he  is  generally  regarded  as 
pre-eminently  the  sexton  of  old  John  Street  Clnu'ch. 

Peter  Williams,  we  are  told,  "was  sexton  for  a  time  during  the 
early  and  latter  part  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution."  *  It  is  his  like- 
ness which  is  seen  in  the  middle  door  of  tlie  old  church,  as  shown  in 
the  large  colored  engraving.  Dr.  Wakeley  gives  a  portrait  of  him 
from  a  pauiting  that  was  in  the  keeping  of  his  adopted  daughter,  and 
is  said  to  be  by  a  Frenchman  from  St.  Domingo.  He  was  short  and 
stout,  and  wlien,  in  his  later  years,  tlie  loss  of  his  hair  had  left  his 
iiead  as  smooth  as  a  glass  ball,  he  wore  a  wig.  f 

He  was  born  in  New  York  city  of  pure  African  parentage.  Their 
owner  was  of  the  Boorite  family-,  and  lived  in  Beekman  Street 
Peter's  parents  occupied  part  of  the  building  in  which  the  cow  was 
kept,  and,  in  speaking  of  his  birth,  he  used  to  say,  "  I  was  born  in  as 
humble  a  place  as  my  Master."  He  had  seven  sisters  and  two  broth- 
ers, and  was  the  only  Methcdist  among  them.  He  was  converted 
when  Embury  and  Webb  were  preaching  in  the  rigging-loft,  and  his 
adopted  daughter  said  to  Dr.  Wakeley,  "  He  always  thought  Captain 
Wei)b  was  something  wonderful.  When  they  talked  of  great  preach- 
ers Captain  Webb  was  always  brought  on  to  the  carpet."  His  wi^e, 
Mary  Durham,  a  native  of  St.  Christopher's,  one  of  the  West  India 
islands,  was  two  years  older  than  lie.  It  is  said  she  "  was  beautiful,  full 
of  good  sense,  and  distinguished  for  consistent  piety."  They  were  a 
happy  couple.  Peter's  master  (at  least  during  the  latter  part  of  his 
servitude)  was  James  Aymar,  a  tobacconist,  who  taught  him  the 
business.  Mr.  Aymar  was  a  loyalist,  and  after  the  war  was  obliged 
to  leave  the  country.  Peter  then  worked  for  the  father  of  the  late  Dr. 
Milledollar,  who  was  also  a  tobacconist,  but  afterward  began  business 
for  himself.:}:     His  store  was  in  Liberty  Street,  and  being  honest  and 

*  AVakeley's  Lost  Chapters,  p.  429.  If  so,  Duncan's  term  of  service  must 
liave  occupied  the  interval.  t  Ibid.,  p.  448. 

i  Dr.  Francis  says  he  was  a  rival  of  "  the  famous  house  of  the  Lorillards  "- 
Old  New  York,  p.  15U. 

33 


488  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

courteous  he  did  a  good  business,  and  finally  owned  his  house  and 
store  and  considerable  other  property.  "Pig-tail''  and  '"nigger- 
heads  "  were  the  titles  of  certain  kinds  of  tobacco,  and  it  is  said  that 
in  buying  the  latter  he  never  asked  for  it  by  that  name,  but  called  It 
"  them  things."  He  could  neither  read  nor  write,  but  Molly  could 
read  a  little.  His  son  kept  his  accounts.  "  He  was  proverbial  for 
his  good  nature ;  his  black  face  shone  all  over  with  kindness.  He 
was  a  cheerful  and  liberal  giver,  and  was  especially  interested  in  the 
welfare  of  his  own  race,  aided  in  the  churches  they  built,  and  in  1801 
laid  with  his  own  hands  the  corner-  stone  of  Zion's  Church  at  the 
corner  of  Leonard  and  Church  Streets." 

For  seven  years  Peter  and  Molly  lived  in  the  old  parsonage  and 
took  care  of  tiie  preachers,  most  of  whom  were  single  men.  Molly's 
name  appears  also  in  the  "  Old  Book  "  in  connection  with  wages  re- 
ceived by  her.  Her  account  was  distinct  from  his,  and  she  received 
her  money  in  one  amount  at  the  close  of  the  year.  She  was  lady-like 
and  intelligent  and  a  model  of  neatness.  The  late  Mrs.  Mason  says: 
"Brother  Williams  would,  on  special  occasions,  when  a  number  of 
preachers  were  in  the  city,  invite  a  company  of  ministers  and  their 
wives  to  dine  or  take  tea  at  his  humble  dwelling.  I  was  sometimes 
a  guest  on  such  occasions.  The  table,  spread  with  taste,  would  be 
bountifully  covered  with  specimens  of  his  wife  Molly's  culinary  art 
in  viands  and  confectionery  which  might  challenge  competition  with 
the  best  cooks.  Molly  was  famed  for  making  excellent  pies  and 
cakes.  With  patriarchal  hospitality  they  would  stand  and  wait  on  their 
guests,  pleased  to  see  them  enjoy  their  repast."  It  is  said  that  "  at 
a  certain  time  Bishop  Asbury  and  a  number  of  preachers  came  to 
dine  at  Peter's  house.  Peter  went  bowing  into  the  parlor,  paying  his 
respects  to  his  guests,  and  began  to  count  them,  pointing  with  liis 
finger.  He  began  with  the  bishoi>,  and  counted  eleven,  and  then 
made  a  long  pause  before  one  who  had  left  the  Methodist  for  another 
Church.  Then  he  said,  '  Eleven — and  you '  (another  pause).  '  A 
Judas,  T  suppose  you  would  say,'  replied  the  deserter.  '  As  you 
please,  Mr.  L.,'  said  Peter;  'I  did  not  say  it.  But  you  had  better  re- 
turn to  your  mother,  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.'  "  As  any  one 
familiar  with  old  New  York  Methodism  will  readily  surmise,  this  was 
Dr.  Thomas  Lyell,  Pilmoor's  successor  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  in  Ann  Street.  Mr.  Lyell  had  sufiBcient  good  sense  and  good 
temper  to  appreciate  the  humor  of  the  incident. 

Perhaps,  too.  Dr.  Lyell  thought  he  had  the  better  of  Peter  when 
Peter  junior  left  the  Methodists  and  became  a  member  of  his  church 


Appendix  V.  489 

in  Aim  street.  Young  Peter  was  an  only  child,  amiable  and  intelli- 
gent. His  talents  gained  the  esteem  of  Bishop  Hobarl,  and  alter  be- 
ing emploj'ed  for  a  time  as  a  lay  reader  lie  was  ordained  a  minister 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  and  became  pastor  of  St.  Philip's, 
a  colored  congregation,  in  Center  Street.  He  was  very  useful,  and 
much  beloved  by  his  people  and  his  brethren  ni  the  ministrj'.  Ke 
died  October  18,  1840,  alter  only  two  hours'  illness.  His  congroga- 
liou  afterward  purchased  the  Methodist  church  edifice  in  Mulberry 
Street  and  took  possession  of  it  in  May,  1857.  Since  then  it  lias  re- 
moved to  IGl  West  25lli  street. 

It  seems  probable  from  what  has  already  been  stated  that  Peter's 
services  as  sexton  ceased,  at  least  for  a  time,  about  1787.*  He  proba- 
bl}'-,  liowever,  continued  to  act  as  undertaker,  and  he  and  Ptier  Paiks 
no  doubt  clothed  most  of  the  old  Methodists  in  their  last  r.  bes  and 
committed  them  to  their  final  resting-place. 

And  at  last  the  time  came  when  he  and  his  good  wife  needed  the 
same  offices  for  themselves.  Molly  was  two  years  oldir  than  her 
husband,  and  died  in  1821,  two  years  before  him.  She  was  buried 
in  the  north-east  corner  of  the  old  ground  connected  with  the  For- 
syth Street  Church.  The  Rev.  Tobias  Spicer  and  the  Rev.  Thumas 
Lyell,  the  Episcopal  clergymen  referred  to  above,  officiated.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1823,  Peter  died  of  paralysis,  and  as  burials  were  no  longer 
permitted  in  the  Forsyth  Street  chnrcli-yard  he  was  laid  in  the  burj-- 
ing-ground  of  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church.  His  funeral  sermon  was 
preached  in  John  Street  Church  by  Dr.  William  Phoebus. 

As  already  stated,  Peter  was  born  in  slavery,  and  his  master  being 
a  loyalist  and  compelled  to  leave  the  country  after  tlie  war.  ho  was 
liable  to  be  sold  into  hands  that  might  not  be  agreeable  to  him.  To 
save  him  from  this,  and  to  enable  him  to  obtain  his  freedom,  the 
trustees  of  the  John  Street  Church,  acting  no  doubt  on  the  wishes  of 
the  church,  bought  him  for  forty  pounds.  This  was  on  June  1 0,  1 783. 
Some  two  weeks  before  (May  27)  Peter,  in  anticipation,  probably,  of 
tlie  purchase,  placed  in  their  hands  his  watch,  valued  at  five  poimds.f 
From  that  date  onward  we  find  entries  of  payments  from  time  to 
time,  the  sums  varying  from  two  to  five  pounds,  until  under  date  of 
February  17,  1786,  we  read:   "By  cash  received  of  Peter  Williams  in 

*C.  R.  Disosway,  Esq.,  says,  in  a  note  to  the  writer:  "Peter  Williams  did 
not  act  as  sexton  of  John  Street  at  any  time  during  the  current  century.  How 
late  lie  served  during  the  last  century  I  cannot  say." 

+  This  watch  was  either  bought  back  or  presented  to  him  again.  It  was  in 
the  hands  of  his  adopted  daughter  after  his  dt-ath.— Wakeiey's  Ld  (Viap- 
tcr.%  p.  468. 


490  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York.  City. 

full  of  all  demands  on  the  4tli  of  November,  1785,  £5  7s.''  The 
amount  footed  up  comes  to  £35  7s;  but  perhaps  a  part  was  paid  in 
services,  of  which  no  account  was  entered.  And  yet,  strange  lo  tell, 
not  till  eleven  years  after  was  his  emancipation  paper  executed.  This 
paper,  which  Dr.  Wakeley  found  in  the  possession  of  his  adopted 
daughter,  is  given  by  him  in  Lost  Chapters,  pp.  463,  etc.  Noe.xplaua- 
tion  or  defense  of  this  transaction  is  needed.  It  was  a  purchase  of 
slave  property  such  as  John  "Wesley  would  never  have  censured, 
and  if  Methodists  had  never  bought  nor  held  slaves  under  any  other 
circumstances  the  Church  would  never  have  been  rent  asunder  by 
the  question.* 

But  we  must  go  back  some  thirty-five  years  and  follow  the  succes- 
sion of  other  sextons.  Between  March  21,  1786,  and  lanuary  12, 
1787,  we  have  payments  to  Joshua,  John,  and  J.  Slidel,  or  Slydell, 
which  look  as  if  they  were  for  sextons'  services.  The  correct  name  is 
probably  Joshua,  as  we  find  it  so  in  the  list  of  Abraham  Russell's  class 
in  1787.  f  On  April  2,  1787,  the  name  of  Schuyler  appears.  His 
first  name,  as  we  afterward  find,  was  Bernard.  His  salary  was 
twenty  pounds  a  year,  and  he  received  regular  quarterly  payments 
until,  under  the  date  of  March  29,  1790,  we  read:  "Cash  paid 
Sclu;yler's  widow  for  sexton's  salary  to  1  April,  1790,  £2.0s.  0(^." 

In  the  latter  part  of  1789  the  church  in  Second  (now  Forsytli) 
Street  was  completed,  and  henceforth  when  we  read  of  payments  for 
sexlons'  services  we  mny  not  always  be  able  to  tell  which  church  is 
referred  to.  As  far  as  can  be  ascertained  Thomas  Holdrop  served 
John  Street  from  July  1,  1791,  to  July  1,  1792,  for  fifteen  pounds  a 
year.  He  was  followed  by  James  Ryley  (or  Riley),  whose  salary  was 
the  SMnie,  and  he  was  in  ofBce  when  the  accounts  of  the  "Old  Book  " 
ended,  six  years  and  three  months  after.  From  that  time  we  have 
no  definite  information  as  to  the  sextons  of  John  Street,  except  that 
we  find  in  one  of  the  old  books  a  scrap  of  paper,  on  which  is  a  re- 
ceipt from  Isaac  Collard  to  James  Smith,  dated  December  1,  1811,  in- 
cluding, among  otiier  items,  $12  50  for  "the  care  of  John  Street 
meeting-house  for  three  months."  %  James  Thompson,  whose  name 
first  appears  in  the  "Old  Book"  July  17,  1790,  served,  it  is  most 
likely,  in  the  new  church  (Forsyth  Sireet)  for  ten  pounds  a  year.    The 

*The  larger  part  of  the  material  of  tbis  sketch  Is  derived  from  Wakeley's 
Lost  Chapters,  pp.  426-479.  In  no  part  of  that  volume  has  Dr.  W.  rendered  a 
greater  service  to  those  interested  in  the  history  of  New  York  Methodism  than 
here.  tBook  1  A,V-  '^S. 

tC.  n.  Disosway.  Esq.,  says,  in  a  note  to  the  writer,  that  Mr.  Collard  is  the 
only  .sexton  he  remembers. 


Appendix  V.  491 

last  payment  to  him  is  recorded  April  7,  1791.  Peter  Parks  probably 
followed  him,  and  was  sexton  of  Forsyth  Street  when  the  records  of 
the  "  Old  Book  "  close.  * 

A  few  words  here  as  to  early  Methodist  burial-places.  There  were 
vaults  under  the  first  John  Street  Church;  there  was  a  burial-ground 
connected  with  the  Forsyth  Street  Church,  and  in  it  a  number  of 
vaults  ;f  and  there  were  vaults  and  a  grave-yard  also  at  Bedford  Street 
and  at  Duane  Street.  Afterward  ground  was  purchased  at  the  corner 
of  First  Street  ayd  Second  Avenue,  where  many  were  interred.  At 
the  Eighteenth  Street  Church  a  number  of  excellent  vaults  were 
built,  and  when  the  church  at  Harlem  (now  St.  Jame.s)  stood  on  its  old 
site,  where  now  Lexington  Avenue  crosses  125lh  Street,  there  were 
vaults  in  tiie  rear  of  it.  Greene  Street  had  a  burial-ground  in  36th 
Street,  between  Eighth  and  Ninth  Avenues  (ISTos.  333  and  335). 
There  were  vaults  also  in  tlie  rear  of  the  Sullivan  Street  Church. 
There  was  also  a  cemetery  at  Williamsburg,  now  Brooklyn,  Eastern 
District. 


APPENDIX    W. 

SINGING  AND  CHORISTERS. 

SiXGiXG  has  always  occupied  a  prominent  place  in  the  worship  of 
Methodist  congregations.  Making  but  little  use  of  any  thing  like  a 
liturgy,  this  was  the  only  part  of  the  services  in  which  the  people 
could  unite  vocally,  and  they  made  good  use  of  the  privilege,  singing 
"lustily  and  of  good  courage."  Philip  Embury  was,  we  are  told,  an 
excellent  singer,  and  he  soon  had  the  assistance  of  three  musicians 
belonging  to  the  Sixteenth  regiment  of  British  troops,  then  stationed 
in  the  barracks.  Their  names  were  James  Hodge,  Addison  Low, 
and  John  Buckley.:]:  But  good  voices  and  glad  hearts,  thought  essen- 
tial in  "making  melody  to  the  Lord,"  were  not  all  that  was  neces- 
sary. The  need  of  some  training  in  the  science  of  music  was  soon 
felt,  and  accordingly  we  find  in  the  "  Old  Book,"  under  date  of  April 
24,  1770,  this  entry  "To  cash  pd.  Mr.  Doughty,  for  instructing  in 
singing,  £2  6s." 

*  This  is  the  man  whose  testimony  is  priven  in  Appendix  A.  p.  412,  and  of  whom 
the  incident  of  the  two  boys  at  the  lovfi-feast  is  related,  p.  140.  C.  R.  Disosway, 
Esq.,  in  a  letter  to  the  writer,  says  he  thinks  he  was  a  man  of  considerable 
property. 

+  A  record  of  burials  there  is  In  the  hands  of  the  trustees  of  that  church. 

*  Testimony  of  Peter  Parks,  p.  22. 


492  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

From  that  time,  however,  we  have  n  tthing  on  this  subject  for  more 
tlian  thirty  years.  The  venerable  Daniel  Ayres,  who  was  so  long 
the  leader  of  the  choir  in  John  Street,  says :  *  "  My  first  recollections 
of  the  singing  were  in  1803,  when  the  precentor  led  from  the  altar. 
I  believe  his  name  was  Flanagan,  who  tauglit  the  school  attached  to 
the  church,  f  One  Sunday  afternoon  he  appealed  to  the  preacher  to 
desire  tlie  people  to  follow  the  leading  voice.  The  leading  men  after- 
ward met  in  the  altar  after  service  to  practice  psalmody.  Among 
them  I  remember  Stephen  Dando,  Charles  Marsh,  Joseph  Cooper, 
David  Wilson,  etc.  The  music  dragged.  In  May,  1806,  on  a  beautiful 
Sabbath  morning,  a  gentleman  firstappeared  in  the  clsss  of  good  old 
David  Renny.  His  dress  of  fine  drab  cloth  and  a  fine  presence  were 
unique.  At  tiie  leader's  request  he  made  the  closing  prayer ;  his  music- 
al voice  and  choice  words  attracted  my  notice  as  unusual.  This  was 
Mr.  James  Evans,  from  Manchester,  England;  one  of  the  best  singers  I 
ever  heard,  and  to  my  surprise  llien  he  could  read  any  music  at  sight. 
He  formed  a  choir  at  once  of  such  material  as  he  could  find,  soon 
oroducing  an  improved  style  of  music,  taking  possession  of  the  liltle 
front  gallery.  In  1808  he  published  David's  Compardon,  by  authority 
of  the  General  Conference— a  good  book,  of  which  a  second  edition 
was  issued  in  1817.  This  was  used  until  the  publication  of  the 
Methodist  Harmonist,  in  1822.:|:  Mr.  Evans  left  to  sing  at  Zion's  Prot- 
estant flpiscopal  Church,  and  died  at  Richmond,  Ta. 

David  Wilson  succeeded  Mr.  Evans.  He  was  a  good  singer  and  a 
happy  Christian;  but  was  soon  called  to  his  reward.  § 

Daniel  Ayres  followed  in  1809,  and  continued  until  1839.  Under 
his  charge  tlie  choir  was  celebrated  for  its  excellent  music.  There 
are  some  yet  living  who  can  recall  it  with  great  pleasure.  The  most 
of  the  choir  were  members  of  the  church.  They  bought  their  own 
music  and  provided  a  place  to  praciice.  No  instruments  were  per- 
mitted. In  tliese,  as  well  as  some  other  respects,  the  contrast  with 
the  present  time  is  marked. 

The  leading  female  singer  in  John  Street  for  many  years  was  Miss 

♦Letter  to  the  author,  and  article  in  ChriMian  Advocate,  vol.  xli,  p.  249. 

tXtiis  was  probably  Christopher  Flanagan,  a  converted  papist,  who  came  to 
this  country  before  the  Revolution.  He  was  a  local  preacher,  and  in  October 
23,  1793,  was  paid  sixteen  shillings  for  "  assisting  in  preaching."  He  died  in 
1805. 

i  The  compilers  of  the  HarmonUt  were  John  M.  Smith,  Daniel  Ayres,  John 
D   Myers,  and  G.  P.  Disosway.    See  its  preface. 

S  His  widow  died  in  ia56.  A  daughter,  their  only  child,  became  the  wife  of 
Mark  Stephenson,  M.D. 


Appendix  W.  493 

Hannah  Baldwin.  She  was  born  in  1758,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty 
montns  becfinie  blind  from  small-pox.  Awakened  under  the  preach- 
ing of  Joseph  Pilmoor,  she  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Ciiurch  at 
the  age  of  fifteen  j-ears,  and  was  a  member  for  sixty-five  years.  Slie 
was  an  excellent  singer,  and  knew  all  the  hymns.  She  was  of  a  very 
cheerful,  happy  spirit.  She  wore  a  plain  bonnet,  and,  it  is  said,  never 
put  it  on  without  facing  a  looking-glass.*  Her  relatives  were  Episco- 
palians, and  wished  her  to  be  buried  in  their  ground,  but  she  told 
them,  "  When  I  united  with  the  Methodists  I  said.  This  people  shall 
be  my  people,  and  their  God  my  God;  where  they  die  will  I  die,  and 
with  them  will  I  be  buried."  She  died  hi  1837,  and  her  funeral  serv- 
ices were  held  in  the  Greene  Street  Church,  a  sermon  beiug  preached 
by  Rev,  D.  Ostrander.f 

As  to  the  singing  iu  the  other  churches,  Mr.  Ayres  says:  "I 
remember  good  Simeon  Price  and  Joseph  Johnson,  leading  from  the 
altar  in  Forsyth  and  Allen  Streets."  X 

It  is  said  that  a  choir  was  first  formed  in  Forsyth  Street  in  1817. 
Robert  Smnrc  was  the  first  leader,  and  among  his  successors  were 
William  Hendricks,  Ralph  Hoyt  (afterward  an  Episcopal  clergyman), 
Tliomas  Harlej^  and  Richard  Sliarp. 

For  many  years  George  Higgins  was  the  leader  in  Duane  Street. 
His  voice  was  one  of  tlie  most  powerful  the  writer  ever  heard,  and 
yet  at  times  exceedingly  soft  and  musical.  It  was  well  adapted  to 
camp  meetings. 


APPENDIX   X. 

METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN. 

In  the  Minutes  of  1789  John  Dickins,  the  preacher  stationed  in 
Philadelphia,  is  also  appointed  book  steward,  and  he  had  charge  of 
the  publishing  business  from  that  time  until  his  death,  in  1798.  In 
1796  Ezekiel  Cooper  was  appointed,  and  the  business  was  continued 
in  Philadelphia  until  1804.     Its  removal  from  there  seems  to  have 

*  C.  R.  Disosway,  yiethodisf,  vol.  xiii,  p.  35.5. 

■yChiMian  Advocate,  vol.  xii,  p.  3'3.  The  writer  has  a  list  of  the  John 
Street  choir,  furnished  by  the  late  Daniel  Ayres. 

t  Of  the  latfer  it  is  related  that  a  slip  of  paper  having  been  put  into  his  seat, 
on  which  were  the  lines, 

"  Sometimes  too  fast,  sometimes  too  slow. 
Sometimes  too  hi^h,  sometimes  too  low," 
he  never  would  lead  any  more. 


494  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

been  the  result  of  a  desire  to  keep  Mr.  Coojjer  in  charge,  and  an  un- 
wilUngness  to  have  any  preacher  remain  in  one  place  beyond  the 
usnal  terra.  Tiie  Philadelphia  Conference  of  1803  voted  to  remove 
it  to  Baltimore,  but  to  this  Mr.  Cooper  objected,  and  at  the  General 
Conference  of  1 804  New  York  was  fixed  upon  as  its  place.*  No 
ground  can  be  discovered  for  tlie  statement  of  Dr.  Atkinson  {Centen- 
nial History  of  Methodism,  p.  321)  that  in  the  General  Conference  of 
that  year  (1804)  "Baltimore  and  New  York  were  competitors  for  the 
Concern  ;  "  at  least  they  were  not  in  the  sense  of  putting  in  any  claims 
I'or  it.  Indeed,  "  It  is  very  evident,  if  Philadelphia  parted  with  the 
Book  Concern  without  regret.  New  York  held  no  jubilee  of  welcome 
on  its  arrival.     So  far  as  it  apjjears  it  came  unsought." 

But  there  has  been  some  uncertainty  as  to  the  various  locations  in 
wliich  tlie  business  has  been  carried  on  in  New  York,  and  lo  settle 
this  question,  if  possible,  the  volumes  of  the  New  York  Directory  iiave 
lieen  examined.  These  were  found  in  the  library  of  the  New  York 
Historical  Society,  and  they  furnish  a  line  of  testimony  almost  perfect, 
corroborated  also  by  the  catalogues  on  the  last  pages  of  several  old 
volumes  published  at  the  time.  The  conclusions  are  as  follows :  In 
1804,  when  the  removal  to  New  York  took  place,  E.  Cooper  and  J. 
Wilson  were  tlie  agents  or  book  stewards,  as  they  were  then  called. 
(In  the  Minutes  of  1805-6  Mr.  Cooper  is  also  appointed  to  Brooklyn 
and  Mr.  Wilson  to  New  York,  and  in  1807  Mr.  Cooper  is  set  down 
at  New  York  and  Mr.  Wilson  at  Brooklyn.  In  1808  the  General 
Conference  relieved  the  agents  from  all  pastoral  duty,  and  also  limited 
the  total  term  of  their  service  to  eight  years.)  It  is  said  that  the 
business  was  first  established  in  a  small  room  in  Gold  Street,  and  this 
is  probably  correct,  although  no  testimony  to  that  effect  is  to  be 
found  in  the  Directory.  But  in  1805  the  Directory  reads:  "  Motli- 
odist  Book  Store,  249  Pearl  Street;"  and  there  it  seems  to  have 
remained  until  1808  or  1809.  In  1808  Wilson  became  senior  agent 
and  D.  Hitt  assistant,  and  from  1809  to  1816  the  Directory  locates 
the  store  in  Church  Street.  (Numbers  vary,  however;  they  are  139, 
168,  192,  owing  probably  to  a  change  in  the  numbering  of  the 
street,  as  both  139  and  192  are  said  in  the  catalogues  to  be  at  the 
corner  of  Wiiite  Street.     Now  192).f 

*  Li(]ht  011  Early  Methodism,  p.  279,  etc. 

+  Rev.  D.  Devinne  gives  the  following  account  of  a  visit  to  the  place  at  this 

ppiiori     He  says  it  was  a  plain  two-story  house  with  no  vestiere  of  a  shop.    He 

uspil  the  brass  knocker  on  the  door  .several  times,  and  at  last  a  very  lordly- 

*  looking  pentleman  appeared  at  the  head  of  the  stairs.     He  was  dressed  in 

ancient  costume,  short  breeches,  white  stockings,  white  vest,  black  coal,  and 


Appexdix  X.  495 

Mr.  Wilson  died  in  1810,  and  Mr.  Hitt  was  sole  agent  until  the 
General  Conference  of  1812,  when  Thomas  Ware  was  made  assistant. 
Tliey  were  succeeded  at  the  General  Conference  of  1816  by  Joshua 
Suule  and  Thomas  Mason,  and  not  long  after  the  business  was 
removed  to  41  John  Street,  where  it  occupied  two  lower  rooms.  This 
house  was  afterward  the  residence  of  Francis  Hall,  Esq.  (See  Chris- 
tian Advocate,  October  11,  1833.)  The  Directory  of  1817  gives  no  light 
on  the  matter,  but  in  1818  it  is  41  John  Street.  In  1820  N.  Bangs 
became  senior  agent,  with  Thomas  Mason  as  assistant,  and  in  1821  we 
find  the  business  in  Chatham  Square.  (The  number  is  sometimes  5  and 
sometimes  2  ;  5  is  probably  correct.)  In  1823  and  1824,  however,  it  is 
55  Fulton  Street.  In  1824  John  Emory  became  assistant.  Up  to  this 
date  the  Concern  had  no  printing-office,  their  work  being  done  by 
various  parties — for  example,  John  C.  Totten,  J.  J.  Harper,  Myers  & 
Smith,  and  Abraham  Paul.  A  bindery,  however,  had  been  opened  in 
1822  in  the  basement  of  the  Wesleyan  Seminary  building,  on  the  west 
side  of  Crosby  Street,  between  Howard  and  Grand  Streets.  In  Sep- 
tember 20,  1824,  printing  was  begun,  and  shortly  after  tlie  seminary 
building  was  purchased.  This  was  a  substantial  brick  building,  65  by 
40,  standing  a  little  back  from  the  line  of  the  street.  In  1827,  more 
room  being  needed,  a  new  front  was  put  up,  without  removing  the 
original  front  wall,  thus  giving  additional  space  tliirteen  feet  wide. 
(These  later  items  are  from  an  article  in  the  Youth^s  Instructor  of 
October,  1828.) 

In  1833  the  building  200  Mulberry  Street  was  occupied.  Tliis  was 
burned  in  Feburary,  1836,  but  immediately  rebuilt,  and  has  just  been 
sold  and  vacated  (January,  1890).  The  property  at  805  Broadway 
was  purchased  in  1869,  but  occupied  only  as  a  store  and  offices.  The 
new  building.  Fifth  Avenue,  corner  of  Twentieth  Street,  was  occupied 
in  the  close  of  1889. 


APPENDIX  Y. 

MEMBERSHIP  IN  NEW  YORK  CITY. 

Down  to  1838  the  total    nipmbership  has  already  been  givrn  for 
each  year;  after  tliat  the  number  in  each  Church  is  to  be  found  in  its 

hair  combed  very  artistically.  Without  saying  a  word  he  came  down  the  stairs, 
passed  into  another  room,  where  the  books  were  piled  up  on  the  floor,  and 
handed  me  one  book.  I  grave  him  a  silver  dollar  and  he  gave  me  six  cents 
change.  It  was  D.  Hitt.  "  I  tried,"  says  Mr.  Devinne,  "  to  make  small  talk, 
but  it  would  not  run."— The  Methodist,  vol.  xvi,  p.  34.3. 


496  A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

history.  This  table  gives  the  sum  for  each  year,  and  marks  tie  in- 
crease or  decrease.  It  includes  all  nationalities,  and  probationers 
as  well  as  full  members,  as  only  in  this  way  could  the  progress  of 
the  Church  be  shown.  The  annexed  district  is  not  counted.  If  we 
pass  at  all  beyond  the  limits  of  Manhattan  Island  it  might  be  said, 
not  improperly,  that  the  statistics  of  New  York  city  Methodism 
should  be  made  up  from  the  whole  region  within  a  radius  of  flfly 
miles  from  the  old  John  Street  Church. 

The  task  of  preparing  this  table  has  been  a  difScult  one,  partly  be- 
cause of  the  frequent  indistinctness  of  the  figures  in  the  printed 
Minutes.  From  that  and  other  causes  also  there  may  be  some  errors, 
but  it  is  believed  to  be  suEBciently  correct  for  all  practical  purposes. 


DiTH. 

NUMBER. 

INC.   OB 

DEC. 

PATB 

NUMBER. 

INC.    OB    DEC. 

1773 

180 

. 

1810 

2,200 

Increase 

200 

1774 

222 

Increase 

42 

1811 

2,454 

" 

254 

1775 

200 

Decrease 

22 

1812 

2,594 

11 

140 

1776- 

132 

" 

68 

1813 

2,478 

Decrease 

116 

177V 

96 

" 

36 

1814 

2,563 

Increase 

85 

1778  to  1783  no 

reports. 

1815 

2,443 

Decrease 

120 

1784 

60 

Decrease 

36 

1816 

2,572 

Increase 

129 

1785 

no  report. 

1817 

2,853 

" 

281 

1786 

203 

Increase 

143 

1818 

3,158 

" 

305 

1787 

275 

It 

72 

1819 

3,180 

ii 

22 

1788 

330 

" 

55 

1820 

3,218 

" 

38 

1789 

360 

" 

30 

1821 

2,155 

*Decrease  1,063 

1790 

624 

" 

264 

1822 

2,437 

Increase 

282 

1791 

636 

" 

12 

1823 

2.706 

" 

269 

1792 

641 

" 

5 

1824 

2,539 

Decrease 

167 

17  93 

793 

" 

152 

1825 

2,623 

Increase 

84 

1794 

710 

Decrease 

83 

1826 

2,930 

" 

307 

1795 

755 

Increase 

45 

1827 

3,289 

" 

359 

1796 

786 

" 

31 

1828 

3,477 

" 

188 

1797 

881 

" 

95 

1829 

3.839 

'• 

362 

1798 

900 

" 

19 

1830 

3,955 

" 

116 

1799 

818 

Decrease 

82 

1831 

5,021 

" 

1,066 

1800 

776 

" 

42 

1832 

5,433 

" 

412 

1801 

835 

Increase 

59 

1833 

5,224 

Decrease 

209 

1802 

937 

" 

102 

1834 

5,249 

Increase 

25 

1803 

995 

" 

58 

1835 

5,287 

" 

38 

1804 

1,018 

11 

23 

1836 

5,493 

" 

206 

1805 

940 

Decrease 

78 

1837 

5,703 

" 

210 

1806 

1,056 

Increase 

116 

1838 

5,533 

Decrease 

170 

1807 

1,463 

" 

407 

1839 

6,156 

Increase 

623 

1808 

1,754 

" 

291 

1840 

6,413 

" 

257 

1809 

2,000 

11 

246 

1841 

6,722 

" 

309 

*  Due  to  the  Stilvvelllte  secession,  etc. 


Appendix  Y. 


497 


DATE. 

NUMBER. 

INC.  OK  DEC. 

DATE. 

NUMBER. 

INC.  OR  DEC 

1842 

7,775 

Increase 

1,053 

1867 

11,504 

Increase 

111 

1843 

9,780 

" 

2,005 

1868 

11,958 

" 

454 

1844 

9,478 

Decrease 

302 

1869 

12,626 

" 

668 

1845 

9,571 

Increase 

93 

1870 

12,546 

Decrease 

80 

1846 

9,495 

Decrease 

76 

1871 

12,443 

" 

103 

1847 

9,326 

" 

169 

1872 

13,012 

Increase 

569 

1848 

9.348 

Increase 

22 

1873 

12,808 

Decrease 

204 

1849 

8,953 

*Decrease 

395 

1874 

12,855 

Increase 

47 

1850 

8,948 

" 

5 

1875 

12,441 

Decrease 

414 

1851 

9,307 

Increase 

359 

1876 

12,354 

•' 

87 

1852 

9,103 

Decrease 

204 

1877 

12,078 

a 

276 

1853 

9,322 

Increase 

219 

1878 

12,140 

Increase 

62 

1854 

8,956 

Decrease 

366 

1879 

12,881 

" 

741 

1855 

8,439 

" 

517 

1880 

13,160 

11 

279 

1856 

8,606 

Increase 

167 

1881 

13,200 

It 

40 

1857 

8,550 

Decrease 

56 

1882 

13,583 

" 

383 

1858 

10,699 

Increase 

2,149 

1883 

13,541 

Decrease 

42 

1859 

10,816 

" 

117 

1884 

13,667 

Increase 

1  26 

1860 

11,426 

" 

610 

1885 

13,828 

" 

IGl 

1861 

11,739 

" 

313 

1886 

1.3,783 

Decrease 

45 

186-2 

11,036 

Decrease 

703 

18S7 

13.378 

" 

405 

1863 

11.111 

Increase 

75 

1888 

13.814 

Increase 

436 

1864 

lu.405 

Decrease 

706 

1889 

13.927 

" 

113 

1865 

10,337 

" 

68 

1890 

13,707 

Decrease 

220 

1866 

11,393 

Increase 

1,056 

APPENDIX  Z. 

CHURCH  DEBT. 

There  is  so  mnch  irregnlarity  in  the  system  of  making  up  the  re- 
ports of  debt  that  it  has  often  been  difficult  to  ascertain  the  precise 
amount.  The  following  table,  however,  is  believed  to  be  substan- 
tially correct,  and  contains  all  that  has  been  found: 

1772 £11  O.s.  0^. 

1802 2,487  3s.  2d 

1803 2,380  S.<i.  8d. 

1818 117,000  00 

1819 27,438  27 Increase  $10,438  27 

1820 32,558  53 "  5,120  26 

1821 33,749   55 "  1,19102 

1822 35,446  66 "  1,697   11 


*  No  report  from  the  German  work  this  y  ar. 
the  decrease  at  least  300. 


This  would  have  dimlui.shed 


498   A  History  of  Methodism  in  New  York  City. 

1823 $36,398  29 Increase       $95163 

1824 36,106   11 Decrease         292  18 

1825 35,657   39 "  448  72 

1826 31,883  00 "  3,774  39 

1827 36,44144 Increase  4.558  44 

1828 ;...,  32,506  68 Decrease  3,934  76 

1829 36,237   11 Increase      3.73ii  43 

1830 34.707    11 Decrease      1,530  00 

1831..., 37,657   11 Increase      2,950  00 

1832 67,339    11 "  29,682  00 

1833 78,773  67 •'  11.434  56 

1834 89,798  67 "  1 1,025  00 

■ — besides  a  mortgage  of  $5,000  on  the  buryiiig-grouud  at  Williams- 
burg. 


NDEX. 


Aobott,  Benjamin,  115. 

Address  of  Coiitereuce  to  Preoideut 
Washington,  103. 

Addresses  of  religious  bodies  to  Presi- 
dent Wasliington,  4(VJ. 

African  Cliurch.  Zion's,  156. 

Alanson  Church,  337. 

Allen  Street  Church  181,273,294;  Me- 
morial Cnurch,  291;  revival,  253 

Altar,  inviting  to,  170;  rail  in  John 
Street,  85. 

Ainei  ica,  when  the  Palatines  came,  9. 

Anderson,  Cornelia,  8.»;  Mr.s.,  4it. 

Andrus,  Luman,  174. 

Appointments,  Plans  of,  47'8. 

A  >thorpe,  Mr.,  427. 

Asbiiry,  Bishop,  55-.57,  58,  59;  ap- 
pointed assistant,  61 ;  to  New  York, 
6);  a  true  American,  459;  bill  for 
horse  keeping,  176 ;  controversy  with 
Lupton  and  Newton.  61,  64,  69 ;  in 
New  York,  81,  82,  89,  92,  95,  101,  102, 
113,  118,  Ul,  124,  126,  133,  139,  141, 
14%  147,  1.50,  151,  160,  162,  163,  106, 
167.169,  175,  176,  178,  185,  190,200; 
on  heresy  and  schism,  13S  ;  regulat- 
ing the  New  York  Society,  .59. 

Asbury  Church,  313 ;  churches,  332, 
ma ;  Society,  332. 

Ashgrove,  49. 

Ashton,  Thomas,  4.5,  49,  162  (note). 

Assistance  Society— Minutes  of.  Pref- 
ace, viii ;  organized,  175. 

Attorney  Street ;  Colored  Mission, 
372;  Wesley  Chapel,  361. 

Authorities,  Preface,  iv. 

Auchmuty,  Rev.  Samuel,  428. 

Avenue  A  Mission,  339. 

Axtell,  Mr.,  438. 

Aymar,  James,  485  (note),  487. 

Ayres,  Daniel,  493. 

Baldwin,  Hannah,  492. 

Bangs,  Heman,  233 ;  sermon  at  Allen 

Street,  256 ;  Nathan,  182. 
Bank  Street,  355. 
Banyar,  Mr.  (Goldsbrow\  443. 
Baptism,  First  recorded,  Preface,  vi 

(note). 
Baptisms,  certiflcates    required,    and 

other  rules  in  regard  t.i,  193,  477. 
Barclay,  Rev.  H.,  28;  Mrs.  Mary,  28, 

436. 


Bard.  Dr.,  43 '. 

Barracks  Street.  17. 

Battery  Park,  405. 

Beauchamp,  William,  14i^. 

Bedford  Street,  178,  293. 

Beekrnan,    Garrett,    431;    Hill,    353; 

House,  352  (note) ;  James,  431. 
Bell,  Mrs.,  433;  Thomas,  34,  433  ;  letter 

of,  4.53. 
Bend,  Grove,  438. 
Bethany  Chapel.  3T5. 
Bininger,  Abraham,  434 ;  Kate,  434. 
Bislmp.  Truman,  169. 
Black  Harry.  93,  108. 
Blagborne,  William,  186. 
Blcccker,  John,  137  (note). 
BloKiiiingdiile  M.  E.  Church,  308;  Mis- 
sion, 358. 
Boardman,  Richard,  43,  47, 66  ;  returns 

to  England,  66  ;  subsequent  history, 

67  (note). 
Boehm,  Henry,  37  (note),  459. 
Book  Concern,  166,  493 ;  corner-stone 

of  building  in  Mulberry  Street,  273  ; 

purchase  of  site  in  Mulberry  Street, 

313  (note). 
Books,  Preachers  cot  to  publish,  46  ; 

quoted,  Preface,  iv,  etc. 
Bowden,  Elizabeth,  448;  John,  448. 
Bowery  Church,  285;  village,  153,  291. 
Boys  at  love-feast,  140  (note). 
Brewery,  Old,  403. 
Brick  iii  the  church,  3.59  (note). 
Brinkley,  Thomas,  448. 
Broadway  Hall,  361.  313;  Mission,  358. 
Broome  Street  Colored  Mission,  372. 
Brown,  Ebenezer,  238. 
Brush,  Jacob,  114  (note),  136  (note). 
Buck,    Valentine,  sermon  at    Willett 

Street,  398. 
Burch,  Thomas,  247. 
Burial-grounds,    49! ;     not   advisable 

near  churches,  181  inote). 
Bushnell,  Samuel,  238. 

Calvary  Church,  375. 

Cam|)-meeting  Committee,  Minutes  of, 

Preface,  viii. 
Cannon  Street,  361. 
Card-party,  16. 
Carpenter,  Coles,  250 ;  Thomas,  def.th 

of,  241. 
Casner.    See  Gassnar. 


500 


Index. 


Centenary  Church  (Morrisania),381. 

Ceatial  Cliuirli,  3,21. 

Centre  street  Mission.  40a. 

Charity  Sciioul,  112,  153. 

Chase,  Henry,  243. 

Chave,  John,  60.  444. 

Chelsea  Church,  337. 

Cherry  Street,  336. 

Chew,  Thomas  S.,  87  (note). 

Children,  Conversion  of  several,  168 ; 

Instruction  of,  90. 
rhiiie>e  Missicin,  401. 
Choirs  Introduced.  188. 
Cholera  m  1832,  269. 
Choristers,  491. 

Christmas  Conference,  1784,  82. 
Church  extension    work,    408;  feasts 
observed,  132;    Home,  40'o;  of  the 
Saviour,  368. 
Circuit  divided,  266. 
Clark,  John,    135,   263;    Laban,    187; 

Captain  Thomas,  437. 
Clarkson,  David,  433. 
Class,    First,    22;    leader,    ambitious, 
226;  leaders  in  1793,  464;   in  1795, 
1.32;  in  1802,  465.    See  also  Offlcial 
Members. 
Cloud,  Robert,  91,  106. 
Coate,  Michael,  150. 
Cochran,  Samuel,  194. 
Coke,  Thomas,  82,  85,  95, 102,  123  :  and 
the  address  to  President  Washing- 
ton, 463. 
Coles,  George,  251;  sermon  on  read- 
ing, 299. 
Col  lard,  Isaac,  490. 

Colored  mission,  373;  orphan  asylum, 
3.56 ;  people,  first  reported  separately, 
91  (note). 
Communion,  preparation  for  in  John 

Street,  84  ;  table  bought,  96. 
Conference,  first,  65  ;  first  in  New  York, 
101;    Christmas,  83;  General,    first 
delegated,    ITO;  intervals    between 
Irregular,   108,   118;  Thatcher's  ac- 
count of,  147  (note). 
Coiifeiences,  select  at  first,  240  (note). 
Cook,  Coiiieliiis,  98  ;  estate  of,  Preface, 

vii :  Mr.,  443;  Phineas.  193. 
Cooper,  Ezekiel,  87,  88,  133,  138 ;  ser- 
mon to  Deists,  131. 
Coppers,  Surplus,  95. 
Cornell,    Wliitehead,    430;    Memorial 

Chiiri-h,  3116. 
Courtlaiul,  (Jose,  439. 
Courtney,  Mrs..  430. 
Covel,  James,  237,  229. 
Crawford,  Joseph,  173. 
Creamer,  Belthazar,  485. 
Crommeline,  Mr.,  440. 
Crook,  John,  428. 
Crossfleld,  Mrs.  (Nancy),  436, 
Crowell,  Seth,  170,  327. 
Crugar,  John,  437;  Haris,  437. 
Cushions  in  John  Street  Church,  Com- 
plaint of,  341  (note). 
Cuyler,  Henry,  439. 


David's  Companion,  493. 

Davis.  Captain.  433. 

Deaconess  Home.  407. 

Debt,  Table  of,  497  ;  as  apportioned  to 

the  churches  of  the  West  Circuit,  27u. 
Deeds,  38,  53,  414,  416,  419. 
De  Groot,  Mrs.  Joanna,  179  (note). 
Deists,  Cooper's  sermon  to,  131. 
Delancy,  James.  110,  436 ;  Oliver,  426. 
Dempster,  James,  69;  John.  70. 
Depeyster,  Frederick,  443 :  legacy,  163, 

443. 
Desbrosses,  Elias,  440. 
Deverick,  Mrs.,  23  (note),  433. 
Deviune.  D.,  202,  243. 
Dickius,  John,  79  ;  Asbury's  sermon  at 

ordination  of,  92. 
Disturbine  worship,  74,  75. 
Division  of  circuit,  266 ;  property,  274. 
Dorcas  Society,  2.50  (note). 
Doughty,  Mr.  491. 
Dow,  Lorenzo,  237. 
Drummond,  Thomas,  199, 
Dry  Dock,  3:^8. 
Du'ane,  James,  440 ;  Church,  288;  Street, 

143,  288. 
Duncan,  Elizabeth,  486  ;  Robert,  485  ; 

Thomas,  447. 
Durbin,   John    P.,    sermon   in    Allen 

Street,  255. 

East  82d  Street,  373. 

East  86th  1-treet,  274,  309. 

East  118th  Street,  aW. 

East  111th  Street,  308 ;  109th  Street,  368 ; 
110th  Street,  368;  113th  Street,  368. 

Ebert,  Philip,  447 

Edmonds,  Samuel,  34. 

Eighteenth  Street,  260,  318;  has  old 
charter,  319. 

Eleventh  Street,  a39. 

Ellison,  Thomas,  438. 

Emanuel  Church  (colored^  372. 

Embury  Bible,  454;  David,  48,  436; 
Kate,  4*4;  original  name  of,  411 
(note);  Peter,  434;  Philii),  birth  and 
conversion,  6;  embarkation,  8;  ar- 
rival in  New  York,  14  ;  first  sermon 
in  New  York,  18  ;  house  of,  17 ;  not 
a  subscriber,  34;  land  purchase  of, 
4.56  ;  concordance  presented  t  ',  Pref- 
ace, V;  removal  from  New  York,  4S; 
subsequent  history  of  and  death,  49  ; 
grave  of,  50;  Mrs.,  Christian  name 
of,  7  (note^ ;  after  his  death,  50. 

Emery,  Nathan,  198. 
Emory,  Bishop,  411. 
Evans,  James,  4'.I2. 

E.xhorters  in  1811  and  1812, 190.  (See 
also  UiBcial  Members.) 

Fanaticism,  reproved  by  A.  Hunt,  169. 
Farewell  texts  by  T.  Morrill.  119,  125. 
Farrington,  Townsend  H.,359. 
Fast  on  account  of  yellow  fever,  12o. 
Fniigere,  Lewis,  448. 
Fergusim,  S.  D.,  258 


IXDEX. 


501 


Ferris,  Ira,  2(31. 

Field,  Julius,  -Mb. 

Fimiucial  system  in  1820,  211 :  orig- 
inally Congre!i:alional,  215. 

Fiftieiii  Street  (Lexlntrtuu  Ave.),  341 ; 
iBeeknian  Hill),  352 

Fiftv-flftti  Street  (German),  395. 

Fiftv-sixtb  Street.  3;8. 

Fifty-third  Street,  347. 

First  chureli,  plan  of,  26  ;  cost  of,  35 ; 
list  of  member's,  !19. 

First  Methodist  books  printed  In  Amer- 
ica. 45. 

First  Methodist  Ei)iscopal  Centennial 
Church  in  New  York  city,  278. 

First  Meth(jdist  Episcopal  Church,  278. 

First  missionaries  fiom  England,  43. 

First  preacher's  wife  in  New  York,  81. 

First  AVesleyan  chapel  (Central),  321. 

Fi.sk,  Wilbur,  sermon  in  Allen  Street, 
2.53. 

Fitzgerald,  Aunt  Annie  and  Uncle 
Billy,  317. 

Five  Points  Mission,  402. 

Flanagan,  Christopher,  492. 

Forbes,  Joseph,  29. 

Fordham.  ;383. 

Forsyth  Street,  285;  building  of  first 
church,  104,  109 ;  second  church, 
370;  preachers  for  dedication  of 
second  church,  477. 

Fortieth  Street  (German),  393. 

Forty-tirst  Street  (43d  Street),  308 ; 
(St.  Luke's),  365. 

Forty-fourth  Street,  347. 

Forty-third  Street,  308. 

Foster,  Thomas,  97  (note). 

Four-days'  meetings,  253. 

Fourth  Street  (Allen  Street),  294; 
(Washington  Square),  330. 

Franklin  Street,  361. 

Free  Tabernacle,  346. 

French  Mission,  399. 

Fruit  after  many  days,  34  (note). 

Funeral  sermons,  477. 

Furniture,  .51,  146,  460. 

Garrettson,  F.,  99 ;  death  of,  249. 

(Jasner,  John,  34,443. 

Gassnar,  Peter,  443  (note). 

(ieorge.  Bishop,  in  New  Y^ork,  249. 

German  churches:  Blinn  Memorial, 
397 ;  Blooiningdale,  392  ;  Fifty-fifth 
Street  (St.  Paul's),  395;  Fortieth 
Street,  392;  Harlem,  396;  Melrose, 
394;  Miscellaneous,  397;  158th 
Street,  394 ;  156th  Street,  394  ;  114th 
Street,  396  ;  Port  Mission,  397  ;  St. 
Paul's,  395;  Second  Street,  391; 
Thirty-sixth  Street,  392 ;  West  Side 
Mission,  397. 

"  (iod  Save  the  King,"  sung  by  soldiers 
and  congregation,  74. 

G'lden  Hill,  27  ;  battle  of,  443. 

(ioodsell,  Buel,  260;  sermon  in  Allen 
Street,  2.55. 

Grace  Church,  370. 


Graham,  Mr.,  429. 
Gieeu,  Lemuel,  123. 
Greene    Street,  261,  26.5,  313;  Bible- 
class,  316. 
(ireenwich  Village.  178,  293. 
Glim,  David,  4'M. 

(irouud  at  John  Street  leased,  199. 
Guier,  Philip,  4. 

Hagerty,  John,  87. 
Haggadorn,  John,  140  (note). 
Haaierslv,  Andrew,  441. 
Hammett,  William,  118. 
Harlem,  305 ;  Mission,  260,  300. 
Harlev,  Thomas,  493. 
Hebard,  E.,  214. 
Hecht  (Haiglit),  ('aptain,  433. 
Heck  or  Hick,  409 ;  Mrs.,  and  the  card- 
players,  16;   home  of,    in    Ireland, 

413  ;  grave  of,  414. 
Hedding  Mission,  342. 
Hendricks,  William,  493. 
Heresy,  Bishop  Asbury  on,  138. 
Hessians  worshiping  in  John   Street, 

73. 
mbbard,  Billy,  210. 
Hick,    Jacob,     15;    Jonathan    P.,    21 

(note) ;  Paul,  and  Mrs.  P.,  graves  of, 

414. 
Hickson,  Woolman,  97,  98. 
Higgins,  George,  493. 
Holdrop,  Thomas,  490. 
Holiness,  Errors  in  regard  to,  taught, 

244. 
Home  for  the  aged,  406 ;  Mission,  Jane 

Street,  333;    St.  Christopher's,  407. 
Hope  Church,  377. 
Hosier,  Henry.  92,  108. 
Howe,  Samuel,  203. 
Hoyt,  Ralpli,  493. 
Hudson  Church,  143,  288. 
Huget,  Benjamin,  426. 
Hunt,  Aaron,  167,  224  ;  Jesse,  2.51. 
Hutchinson,   Aaron,   127;    Ann,  128; 

Robert,  128;   Sarah,  160;  Sylvester, 

127. 
Hymns  used  about  1766, 19. 

Incorporation,   Proposed  changes  in, 

218,  220. 
Inglis,  Rev.  Charles,  428. 
Instrumental  music  opposed,  299. 
Italian  Mission,  401. 

Jane  Street,  333. 

Janes  Church,  .347. 

Jarvis,  James,  424;  death  of,  69. 

Jauncey,  James,  429. 

Jessop,  William,  117. 

Jewe't,  William,  243. 

John  Street  — first  churcn,  plan  of, 
20,  27;  subscription  paper  for,  29; 
subscribers  to,  30,  423;  the  first  in 
America,  36;  described,  37,  38 ;  ded- 
icated, 41;  preparing  for  communion, 
84;  new  .seats  proposed,  137;  old 
material  of,  310,  313  (aote) ;  Second 


502 


Ind 


EX. 


Church,  203;  Tliird  Chnrch,  278, 
379 ;  escaped  burning,  276  ;  contro- 
versy as  to  sale  of,  381 ;  altar,  85 ; 
clock,  284  ;  communion  vessels,  285; 
monuments,  285. 

Johnston,  David,  413. 

Jones,  Thomas,  441. 

Keith.  William,  177. 
Kendall,  David,  127. 
Kennady,  John,  sermon  at  dedication 
of  Second  Allen  Street  Church,  182. 
Kiugsbridge,  380. 
Ki'jp's  Bay,  344. 
Klssam,  Dr.,  440. 

Ladles'  Home  Missionary  Society,  333, 

392,  403. 
Laight,  Edward,  431. 
Lambert,  Jeremiah,  89. 
Land  bought  in  1785,  8u;  bought  in 

1T86,  90;  leased  to  Michael  Moore, 

109. 
Landon,  S.,  203. 
Leaders'  meetings— form  of  business. 

407;    minutes.    Preface,    viii,    185; 

paper  presented  to,  in  1813,  195. 
Leake,  John,  444. 

Lease  of  ground  in  John  Street,  414. 
Lee,    Jesse,    152;  appointed   to   New 

York,  1799,  151   (note)  ;  conversion, 

45;  Wilson,  13 i.    - 
Levinffs,  Noah,  248. 
Lexington  Avenue,  341. 
List  of  members,  99. 
Lispenard,  Mrs.,  4:B3,  438. 
Livingston,   Peter,  431 ;    Philip,  431 ; 

Robert  11.,  431. 
Local  preachers  in  179.5, 132  (note) ;  in 

1796,  140  (note) ;  in  1800,  1.53;  in  1811 

or  1812,  190  (note) ;  on  West  Circuit, 

1834,  271  (note). 
Lottery  ticket,  52. 
Love-feast,  at  Conference  of  1^90,  115  ; 

1791,  116;   last  in  first  John  Street 

Church,    and    first    in    second,    203 

(note) ;  strict  regulations  as  to,  484 ; 

tickets,  482 :  two  boys  at  (note),  140. 
Low,  Isaac,  437. 

Loyalists  ?    Were  the  Methodists,  457. 
Luckey,  Samuel,  258;  sermon  in  Allen 

Street,  256. 
Ludlow,  Carev,  441  ;  Gabriel,  441 ;  Mr., 

441;  William,  441. 
Lupton,  William.  61.  64,  G9,  422 ;  grunt, 

423  (note);  motto,  424;  Mrs.,  needle- 
work of,  424  (note). 
Lyell,  Thomas,  488. 
Lynch,  William,  90. 
Lynson,  Ab.,  439. 

Madison  Avenue,  373;  Street  Mission, 

337  ;  and  Catherine  Street,  335. 
Mafflt,  John  N.,  252  (note). 
Manhattan  Island,  316. 
Manhattanville  Mission,  301,  37ti. 
Mann,  James,  120  ;  John,  53,  76. 


Marchinton,  Philip,  7S. 

Margaret,  432, 

Mariners'  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
3;36. 

Marriages,  First  recorded,  Preface,  vi 
(note). 

Married  preacher,  First  in  New  York, 
81. 

Marsden,  Josh,ua,  159,  197. 

Martindale,  Stephen,  236. 

Marstin,  John,  438;  Nathaniel,  438; 
Thomas,  438. 

Mason,  Thomas,  240. 

Matthews,  David,  437. 

Matthias,  John  B.,  248;  John  J.,  248. 

Mcc:ombs,  Lauience,  126. 

MeClasky,  John,  149. 

McEvers.  Chanes,  457 ;  widow  (James), 
437. 

McKennis,  British  agent.  130. 

Members,  earliest  lists  of.  Preface,  vi  ; 
in  Seventh  Street,  l.>4  (note):  lists 
of,  99  (note),  106  (note),  130  (notei, 
132;  received  1791,120;  1804,  167; 
1807,  171  ;  1808,  174;  1809,  176;  1810, 
178;  1811,  185;  1813,  191;  1813,  193; 
1816,  201. 

Membership,  Table  of,  495. 

Merrick,  John,  106. 

Merwin,  Samuel,  165;  sermon  in  Allen 
Street,  254. 

Methodism,  origin  of  in  England,  1  ; 
favored  by  tories,  73;  in  New  York 
in  1800,  152  ;  In  1824,  seen  through 
foreign  eyes,  238. 

Methodist  worship,  described,  468 ;  dis- 
turbed, 74,  75. 

Methodists  before  Embury,  3  (note). 

Middlctdn,  Dr.,  4:39. 

Mission   House,  2!)6. 

Moral,  Mr..  430. 

Moravians,  435. 

Moore,  Thomas,  440. 

Moriarty,  John,  98;  Peter.  98. 

Morrell,  Thomas,  105,  119,  125  ;  fare- 
well texts,  1791,  119;  1793,  125. 

Morris,  Nicholas,  211. 

Morrisania,  381. 

Mott  Avenue,  ;389. 

Mountany,  Ab.,  431. 

Mourning  in  churches  disapproved, 
257. 

Mulberry  Street,  323. 

Munson,  Wait,  questions  by,  195. 

Murphey,  John,  485. 

Newton,  Henry,  61,  429  ;  Mary,  430. 

New  York,  early  history  of,  9  ;  in  1760, 
10;  map  of,  in  1760,  10;  Methodism 
as  seen  through  foreign  eyes  In  lo24, 
238. 

Ninth  Street,  a38. 

Nichols,  Andrew,  140. 

Nizer,  Rev.  Mr.,  434. 

Norfolk  Street,  332. 

Norris.  David,  34. 

North  Church,  288. 


IXDEX. 


503 


North  River  Church,  288. 
North    New  York,  385 ;  Mission    (St. 
Stephen's),  380. 

Official  members  in  1795, 132  (note) ;  in 
17%,  14<J(note);  in  1811,  190  (note) ; 
In  1812,  466  ;  in  1820,  467. 

Osilvie,  Rev.  John,  428. 

Old  Book  described.  Preface,  iv ;  last 
records  in,  13o  (note). 

Old  Brewery,  403. 

Old  records.  Preface,  v. 

One  Hundred  and  Fifty-second  Street, 
362. 

One  Hundred  and  Fourteenth  Street, 
(German),  396. 

One  Hundred  and  Fourth  Street,  370. 

One  Hundred  and  Ninth  Street,  368. 

One  Hundred  and  Twenty-Hfth  Street, 
376. 

One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Street, 
375. 

Ostrander,  Daniel,  1-58 ;  and  instru- 
mental music  in  Willett  Street,  299 ; 
sermon  in  Allen  Street,  255 ;  in  Wil- 
lett Street,  299  (note). 

Palatines,  in  Germany,  3 ;  in  Ireland, 
4 ;  in  N.  Y.,  15  ;  receive  Methodism, 
4,  5  (note) ;  Wesley's  visit  to,  5,  6,  8  ; 
embark,  8 ;  arrive,  14 ;  speaking  Ger- 
man, 15  (note) ;  second  party  arrive, 
15. 

Paper  allowed  to  preachers,  47  (note). 

Park  Avenue,  274,  309. 

Parks,  Peter,  account  of  origin  of 
Methodism,  22 ;  sexton,  491. 

Pastor,  asked  for,  35. 

Pastoral  visiting,  Asbury'sideaof,  130. 

Pearson,  Joseph,  429. 

Pease,  Lewis,  260 ;  sermon  in  Allen 
Street,  256. 

Peck,  Phineas,  174. 

Perry  Street,  355. 

Peters,  James,  431. 

Pewed  churches.  First,  271,  321. 

Philadelphia,  contribution  to  the  New 
York  Church,  35. 

Phoebus,  William,  106 ;  death  of,  265. 

Pilmoor,  Joseph,  44,  53;  returns 
to  England,  66;  subsequent  his- 
tory. 67. 

Plans  of  appointments,  478. 

Police  needed,  76. 

Political  preaching,  131. 

Posthumous  influence,  24. 

Prayer-meetings,  plans  and  leaders, 
188. 

Preachers,  appointment  and  support  in 
1813,  195;  described  by  Marsden  in 
1802,  159;  during  Revolution,  76; 
"gone  to  college,"  177;  house,  461; 
meeting,  476 ;  salary  and  duties,  47 ; 
to  lead  classes,  192;  under  close  rein, 
477. 

Presiding  elder,  first  in  New  York,  87. 

Prindle,  Cyrus,  264. 


Prisoners,  Visiting,  130. 
Probationers,  admission  to  classes  and 

love-feasts,  189. 
Promiscuous  seating,  276. 
Property,  division  of,  274;  of  church 

in  1829,   259;  some  in  John  Street 

leased,  199. 
Pulpit  and  altar  in  lecture-room  at 

John  Street,  85  (note). 
Purdy,  Jonathan,  256. 

Quarterly  Conference,  Rolls  of,  in 
1824,  26,  29,  31,  468. 

Queries  by  Asbury,  59. 

Questions  presented  to  leaders'  meet- 
ing, 195. 

Rachel,  432. 

Randle,  Captain,  4.38. 

Rankin,  Thomas,  62-64. 

Read,  C.  Joseph,  4.38. 

Reading,  Sermon  on,  by  G.  Coles,  299. 

Records,  First,  of  baptisms  and  mar- 
riages. Preface,  v,  vii,  viii. 

Reece,  Rev.  R.,  view  of  New  York 
Methodism  in  1824,  2.38. 

Regulations  for  New  York  Church,  47, 
59. 

Remsen,  Peter,  442. 

Revival  at  Allen  Street,  252;  at  Willett 
Street  298 

Revivals,  79,'  113, 137, 141,  168,  175,  214. 

Revolution,  Church  in  New  York  dur- 
ing, 72. 

Rhinelander,  Benjamin,  432;  Mr.,  432; 
William,  4.32. 

Rice,  Phineas,  194. 

Richardson,  Marvin,  199. 

Ridge  Street,  372. 

Rigging-loft,  25. 

Riley,  James,  490. 

Ritzman,  Rudolph,  440. 

Riverdale,  380. 

Rivington  Street,  361. 

Roberts,  George,  136. 

Robertson,  John,  184. 

Rodda,  Martin.  69,  70. 

Rogers,  Evan,  125. 

Rose  Hill.  302. 

Ross,  William,  2-33. 

Ruff,  Daniel,  70. 

Rum  provided  for  workman,  429. 

Rutgers,  Anthony,  439. 

Sacramental  vessels  at  John   Street. 

285 
St.  Andrew's.  358. 
St.  Christopher's  Home,  407. 
St.  James,  305. 
St.  John's,  347. 
St.  Luke's,  365. 
St.  Miirk's,  371. 
St.  Paul's,  .323;  German,  395. 
St.  Steplien's,  3S0. 
Salary  of  first  preachers,  47. 
Sandford,  Peter  P.,  184. 
Sands,  Stephen,  417. 


5U4 


Index:. 


Sargent,  T.  F.,  149. 

Sause,  Richard,  23,  78,  436  ;  appointed 

leader,  69. 
Schism,  Bishop  Asbury  on,  139. 
Scholetleld,  A.,  201. 
School  proposed,  203. 
Schuyler,  Bernard,  486,  490 ;  Samuel, 

444. 
Seaman,  Richard,  264. 
Sears,  Isaac,  443. 

Seating,  new  plan  of,  268 ;  promiscu- 
ous, 276. 
Sebring,  Isaac,  430. 
Second  Avemie,  350. 
Second  Church,  285. 
Second  Street  (Forsyth  Street),  285. 
Second  Street,  present  church,  237, 265, 

270,  316. 
Second  Weslevan  Chapel,  323. 
Selby,  Samuel,  431. 
Seney,  Robert,  245. 
Sermon,  Embury's  first,  18. 
Services,  early,  47 ;  in  1794,  129 ;  order 

of  in  1824,  477. 
Seventeenth  Street,  342. 
Seventh  Street,  153;   dedicated,  274, 

291. 
Seventy-flrst,  358. 
Seventy-sixth,  366. 
Sextons,  485. 

Shadford,  George,  62,  63,  66,  67. 
Sharp,  Richard,  493. 
Shoemaker's  ground,  27. 
Short  sermon  by  G.  Coles,  352  (note). 
Sillick,  Bradley,  263. 
Singers  to  sit  together,  188. 
Singing,  first  teacher,  51 ;  and  choris- 
ters, 491. 
Sixteenth  Street  Mission,  342. 
Sixty-eighth  Street,  358. 
Sixtv-flrst  Street,  356. 
Sixty-seventh  Street,  358. 
Slidel,  J.,  490. 
Smart,  Robert,  493. 

Smith,  Daniel,  124 ;  Ebon,  176 ;  Hazael, 
172;    James    M.,    184;    Joseph,    38 
(note). 
Snethen,  Nicholas,  164. 
Soldiers  disturbing  worship,  74,  75. 
Soule,  Joshua,  213. 
South  Harlem,  368. 
Southwell,  John,  33. 
South  Yonkers,  380. 
Spicer,  T.,  210. 
Spraggs,  S.,  76,  77. 
Sproson,  John,  111,  135  (note). 
Stagg,  Abraham.  316. 
Stapel,  Mrs.,  446  (note). 
Staples,   John,    445;    John,    Jr.,  446; 

Thomas,  446. 
Statistics,  495. 
Stead,  Henry.  241. 
Stebbins,  Cyrus,  146,  161. 
Steward,  First,  60. 

Stewards,  in  1795,  132  (note) ;  1796,  140 
(note);  accounts  of,  from  1827-31, 
474;  appointment  of,  1819,  217. 


Stilwell,  Samuel,  226 ;  William  M.,  227, 
230,  231. 

Stilwellite  secession,  215. 

Stimets,  Christopher,  436. 

Stratten,  J.  B.,  337. 

Strawbrldge,  Robert,  37 ;  Chapel  and 
John  Street,  36. 

Strebeck,  George,  133. 

Stuyvesant,  Nicholas,  439. 

Subscribers  to  first  church,  30, 432. 

Subscription  paper  for  first  church,  29. 

Sullivan  Street,  330. 

Summerfleld,  John,  234. 

Sunday  service  book,  83. 

Sunday-schools,  not  to  instruct  those 
who  attend  day-schools,  nor  during 
hours  of  public  service,  208. 

Superannuated  preachers.  Plan  for  re- 
lief of,  190. 

Swedish  Church,  398. 

Talbot,  Samuel  Q.,  97,  98. 

Taylor,  Thomas  (T.  T.),  35,  436 ;  letter 
to  Wesley,  448. 

Ten  Eyck,  Mary,  438. 

Tenth  Avenue  Mission,  3.54. 

Thacher,  William,  112,  147,  164, 

Thirtieth  Street,  337. 

Thirty-fifth  Street,  354. 

Thirty-fourth  Street,  345. 

Tliirty-seventh  Street,  344. 

Thomas,  Samuel,  174. 

Thompson  and  Selby,  431. 

Thompson,  James,  490. 

Thorp,  Thomas,  308. 

Tomkins  Street,  361. 

Tories?  Were  the  early  Methodists, 
4.57. 

Totten,  Joseph,  135. 

Tract  Society,  Wesleyan  Female,  203 
(note). 

Treasurers  from  1769-96,  135  (note). 

Tremont,  383. 

Trials,  church.  Records  of,  190. 

Trigler,  Mrs.,  460. 

Trinity  Church  (34th  Street),  345; 
(118th  Street)  350. 

Trustees  in  1773,  68;  1783,  78;  17&3, 
78;  1785,  86;  1795,  131;  1796,  140 
(note) ;  1798,  144 ;  1811  or  1813,  190 ; 
1816,  201 ;  1819,  Preface,  ix ;  1830,  211 ; 
July,  1820,  332;  1821,  233;  1832,  236; 
1833,  3:37  ;  1824,  238 ;  1825,  241 ;  1826, 
244;  1827,  347;  1838,  2,50;  1839,3.57 
(note) ;  1830,  360 ;  1831,  361  ;  1833, 
365 ;  1833,  270  (note) ;  1834,  271 ;  ex- 
cited election,  1795,  131;  minute^. 
Preface,  ix  ;  number  increased,  357 ; 
stewards  of  211. 

Tucker,  Thomas,  443. 

Tunes,  Old,  19. 

Tunnell,  John,  91. 

Twentieth  Street,  318. 

Twenty-fourth  Street  (Chelsea),  327; 
(second  church),  348. 

Twenty-seventh  Street,  303. 

Two  rriile  stone,  15.5,  291, 


Index. 


505 


Universalism  in  the  New  York  Society, 

137,  138. 
Upper  Greenwich,  318. 
Upper  Morrisania  (Tremont),  383. 
Ustick,  VVilUam,  4ai. 

Van  Sohaick,  Peter,  436. 
Van  VIeck,  Henry,  433. 
Van  Wyek,  Theodore,  441. 
Vardell  (Vandrill),  Mr.,  440. 
Verplanck,  (Verpleck),  441. ' 
Vestry  Street,  271,  321. 

Waldron,  Richard,  444. 

Walgrove,  Samuel,  179. 

Walton,  Thomas,  439. 

"War  of  1814,  200. 

Ward,  Francis,  173. 

Ware,  Thomas,  133. 

Washburn,  Ebenezer,  201. 

Washington,  Address  lo  President,  103, 
462. 

Wa-shington  Heights,  362. 

Washington  Square,  330. 

Watts,  John,  439. 

Webb,  Captain,  23,  24,  62,  432,  487. 

Wells,  Joshua,  142. 

Welsh  Mission,  400. 

Wesley's  contribution  to  the  chapel, 
35 ;  visits  to  the  Palatines,  5,  6,  8. 

Wesley  Chapel  (John  Street),  30  (Attor- 
ney Street),  361. 

Wesleyan  Seminary,  207  (note). 


West  Farms,  387 ;  and  West  Chester, 

action  of  preachers'  meeting  in  1825 

as  to,  387. 
West  Harlem  (Calvary),  375. 
Whatcoat,  Richard,  83, 119. 
Wheeler,  Eliphalet,  144  (note). 
White,   Charles,  23,  425;  Henry,  440; 

Nicholas,  245. 
Whitefleld,  George,  proposed  as  bishop, 

2  (note). 
Wickham,  Lawyer,  443. 
Willett  Street,  296. 
Williams,  Charles,  439 ;  Molly,  485, 488 ; 

Peter,   485,   486,  487;  emancipation 

of,  489;  Peter,  Jr.,  488;  Robert,  44. 
Willis,  Henry,  97. 
Williston,  Ralph,  163. 
Wilson,  David,  492 ;  John,  161.  " 

Wine  for  preachers,  51. 
Witter,  Thomas,  438. 
Woodlawn,  387. 
Woodstock,  390. 
Workheart,  George  and  Eva,  110,  111, 

(note). 
Worship,  Methodist,  about  1825,  468. 
Wright,  Richard,  57. 

Yates  (or  Yeats),  442. 
Yearbry,  Joseph,  63. 
Yellow  lever  in  New  York,  118,  136, 

141,  145  (note),  168. 
Yorkville,  309,  dedication  of,  274. 
Youngs,  J.,  243. 


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